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Journalism of Courage
With his dream of appearing in television shows “cut short” and with “politics entering the world of comedy”, comedian Shyam Rangeela is now planning to take his political career forward.
The 29-year-old from Rajasthan, who made his name mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has announced that he will contest against the PM from Varanasi. The contest, to ensure that “democracy lives on”, is not merely symbolic, he tells The Indian Express. He will contest “wholeheartedly” and will be reaching Varanasi this weekend to file his nomination papers.
“Hum at least ye kehne ke liye wahan par khade hue honge ke hum yahan par loktantra khatre mein nahin aane denge, logon ko vote ke liye yahan option milega (We will be standing there to at least tell the people that we won’t let democracy come under threat here, to provide an option to people to exercise their right to vote)… unlike Surat or Indore,” he says, referring to the walkover for the BJP candidates in these constituencies after Congress candidates withdrew their papers. “Even if everyone withdraws their (nomination) papers (in Varanasi), my papers will still be there.”
He doesn’t worry about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) etc, he adds. “If my accounts are checked, they will not find anything… I am the original fakir, jo jhola utha kar chal denge ji (I am the original monk. I will just pick up my bags and leave).” In a December 2016 speech, PM Modi had referred to himself as a fakir.
Rangeela adds that he used to be a diehard Modi fan. “I was a bhakt even till 2016-17, but then restrictions were imposed on me,” he says, claiming he was not allowed to do the work he wanted to.
“I would get offers from TV shows… But once I reached, I would find out that my act or script wasn’t being approved and I was removed, from one show after another,” he says.
“When it happens again and again, you realise there is politics in comedy… Jab log rajneeti ke zariye comedy kar rahe hain (When people are doing comedy in the name of politics), then I will do politics via comedy… so that people realise I’m not just making hollow promises,” he says.
In 2022, Rangeela first dabbled with politics and joined the Aam Aadmi Party, but it fizzled out in Rajasthan. He says as an Independent, he is his own master.
Rangeela says he chose Varanasi to contest from as “the entire country’s eyes are focused there”. “There is no mahaul (sentiment) against Modi ji there and anyone who can challenge him.”
On why people would vote for him, Rangeela says “if people can fall for Modi ji”, they can vote for him too.
