Mumbai,
Mar
28
(PTI)
Bollywood
actor
Govinda,
a
mass
entertainer
of
the
1990s
who
is
known
for
his
excellent
comic
timing
and
epic
dance
steps,
on
Thursday
joined
the
ruling
Shiv
Sena
in
Mumbai,
making
a
comeback
in
politics
after
a
14-year
hiatus.
The
former
Congress
Lok
Sabha
MP
joined
the
Shiv
Sena
in
the
presence
of
Maharashtra
Chief
Minister
Eknath
Shinde
at
the
time
of
election
season.
Govinda,
who
gave
multiple
superhit
films
in
his
decades-long
career,
made
a
blockbuster
entry
in
electoral
politics
in
2004.
That
year,
the
"Hero
No.
1" actor
emerged
as
a
"giant
killer"
when,
as
the
Congress
candidate,
he
defeated
BJP
stalwart
Ram
Naik
in
the
Mumbai
North
Lok
Sabha
seat.
Shinde
welcomed
the
60-year-old
actor
into
his
party,
saying
he
was
a
popular
figure
in
all
sections
of
society.
Speaking
on
the
occasion,
an
emotional
Govinda,
who
started
his
acting
career
in
the
1980s
and
whose
films
were
massy
family
entertainers,
said
after
his
first
stint
in
politics
from
2004
to
2009,
he
never
felt
he
would
again
come
back
to
the
same
field.
"I
am
back
(in
politics)
after
a
14-year-long
'vanvas'
(exile)," he
remarked.
The
veteran
actor,
whose
full
name
is
Govinda
Ahuja,
said
he
would
work
in
the
art
and
culture
field
if
given
a
chance.
Mumbai
looks
more
beautiful
and
developed
since
Shinde
has
become
CM,
he
remarked
after
his
re-entry
into
politics,
albeit
under
the
banner
of
a
different
political
party,
which
comes
at
a
time
when
the
country
is
in
the
midst
of
Lok
Sabha
polls.
The
actor
said
development
of
the
country
under
the
leadership
of
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
was
unbelievable.
Shinde,
who
took
over
as
CM
in
June
2022,
said
there
is
positivity
and
prosperity
in
Mumbai
and
pollution
levels
are
also
coming
down
in
the
metropolis.
The
CM
maintained
the
versatile
actor
has
joined
his
party
without
any
pre-conditions
and
rejected
suggestions
that
the
entry
was
linked
to
elections.
"Govinda
stands
for
progress.
He
is
impressed
with
Modiji's
development
policies.
He
wants
to
do
something
for
the
welfare
and
progress
of
the
film
industry.
I
am
sure
he
will
be
the
link
between
the
government
and
the
film
industry.
He
has
joined
us
without
any
conditions," Shinde
asserted.
"Govinda
has
ended
his
vanvas
and
come
to
Ram
rajya,"
noted
the
Shiv
Sena
leader,
whose
party
is
an
ally
of
the
BJP.
"My
government
is
pro-development
and
pro-people,
and
he
was
impressed
(with
its
policies),"
the
CM
said.
Asked
whether
the
actor
will
be
fielded
from
the
Mumbai
North-West
Lok
Sabha
seat,
Shinde
clarified
he
hadn't
put
any
conditions.
"He
just
wants
to
work
for
the
film
industry," he
said,
adding
Govinda
hasn't
joined
the
party
for
an
election
ticket.
Shinde
said
the
Shiv
Sena,
which
heads
the
governing
'Mahayuti'
coalition
in
the
state,
will
soon
release
its
list
of
Lok
Sabha
candidates.
"The
Mahayuti
is
contesting
all
48
seats
(in
Maharashtra).
Ours
is
not
a
government
which
runs
from
home.
We
are
field
people
and
work
for
the
welfare
of
people," the
CM
maintained.
The
ruling
coalition
consists
of
the
Shiv
Sena,
the
BJP
and
the
NCP
led
by
Ajit
Pawar.
To
a
question
on
NCP
(Sharadchandra
Pawar)
leader
Jayant
Patil
calling
Govinda
a
"flop
actor",
Shinde
emphasised
that
insulting
a
film
artist
amounts
to
showing
disrespect
to
the
entire
entertainment
industry.
Asked
about
Shiv
Sena
leader
Vijay
Shivtare
contesting
from
the
Baramati
Lok
Sabha
seat,
the
home
turf
of
deputy
CM
Ajit
Pawar
in
Pune
district,
Shinde
said
his
colleague
has
clarified
that
the
party's
decision
on
the
matter
was
final
for
him
and
added
"I
am
thankful
to
him".