Actor-turned-politician and BJP candidate from Punjab’s Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat Sunny Deol yesterday promised he would solve all problems of the constituency effectively after winning the elections.
Addressing election meetings, he said the way people of Gurdaspur have instilled confidence in him and given him affection, he was sure of winning.
When Deol stepped into Gharota, the village of yesteryear superstar Dev Anand, he was welcomed heartily by villagers.
Village elder Kishan Chand said the village has had a long association with Bollywood and with Sunny Deol coming, the bond had grown stronger.
The actor said he would effectively implement schemes meant for youngsters, elderly and women.
Amid blistering heat, a sea of people thronged actor-turned-politician Deol’s roadshows vying for a selfie with their favourite candidate.
The star also did not miss any opportunity to get off from his vehicle to click photos with them.
During his day-long visit, Deol visited many religious places.
The BJP-Akali Dal has fielded the 62-year-old from Gurdaspur, the seat represented four times by yesteryear actor Vinod Khanna, who died in April 2017 due to cancer.
Khanna, a native of Punjab, was a sitting MP at that time of his death.
The son of veteran actor Dharmendra, Deol, who does not have any direct connection with Gurdaspur city, though his father hails from Sahnewal town near Punjab’s industrial town Ludhiana, has a strong Punjabi appeal. He is a Jat Sikh.
Gurdaspur lies in the north of Punjab, sharing an international border with Pakistan and Kashmir. The area is not as developed as other areas in Punjab.
Deol is pitted against Congress state unit president Sunil Jakhar, who won the October 2017 by-election with a margin of 1.92 lakh votes.