Raju Srivastava’s Demise: A Glimpse At The Comedian’s Political Career And His Net Worth

Last month, one of India's best comedians Raju Srivastava AKA Raju Srivastav was a hale and hearty person who went to work out in a gym. While exercising, he suffered a heart attack and was quickly transported to AIIMS hospital in New Delhi. After a month-long battle between life and death, the 58-year-old comedian breathed his last on Wednesday, (September 21). Fans across the world are shocked by this news and are pouring in tributes for him on social media.

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Remembering the comedy legend, let's take a glimpse at Raju's political career. Hailing from Kidwai Nagar, Raju had entered the political ring by campaigning for Congress MLA Ajay Kapoor during the Uttar Pradesh legislative elections in 2012. With Srivastava's support, the MLA won the election for the third time.

Noticing his interest in politics, then UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav gave Raju Samajwadi Party's election ticket in 2013, and fielded him to fight from the Kanpur constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, Srivastava returned the ticket in March 2014 claiming that he wasn't getting enough support from the local units of the Samajwadi Party.

A few days later, Raju joined the Bhartiya Janata Party(BJP). At the time, the late comedian stated BJP to be the future of Indian Politics. He had said, "The country gave 60 years to Congress. We must now give the 61st year to Narendra Modi."

After BJP won in the 2014 elections, the government launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, where Prime Minister Modi himself nominated Raju for the campaign. Since then, Srivastava had actively participated in cleanliness drives across the country and rigorously promoted the campaign through his comedy shows, music videos, and TV commercials.

Though Raju did many TV shows and appeared in many movies, his main source of income was comedy. He used to charge Rs 4-5 Lakh for a show and often went on world tours. Additionally, he had a small car collection consisting of an Innova, BMW, and a luxurious Audi Q7. As per reports, his net worth is estimated to be Rs 15-20 Crore.