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BJP has fielded Hema Malini from Mathura Lok Sabha seat for the third consecutive time. The political life of veteran Bollywood actress Hema Malini has been very interesting. Hema Malini was seen on the political stage for the first time in the 1999 general elections.
Then he campaigned for Vinod Khanna, who was contesting on BJP ticket from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat. Senior journalist Rashid Kidwai writes in his book ‘Leader-Actor: Bollywood Star Power in Indian Politics’ that when Hema Malini reached the stage to promote Vinod Khanna, the crowd became desperate to get a glimpse of her. He recited a dialogue from his blockbuster film ‘Sholay’ and the crowd danced. Vinod Khanna won that election with a bumper vote.
When Hema Malini came out to campaign for BJP
Kidwai writes that after this, when the state assembly elections came, BJP requested Hema Malini to campaign again. He accepted the suggestion. After this, she went to every village in the assembly elections of different states. At one time, Hema Malini had started considering herself exhausted and felt that her fan following was decreasing, but when she entered the election campaign, she realized her popularity. In 1999, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and then the Vajpayee government also made him the Chairman of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) from 2000 to 2003.
When I turned on the phone, there were hundreds of messages.
However, the real award was yet to come for Hema Malini. In the year 2003, Bharatiya Janata Party nominated him for Rajya Sabha. At the time when BJP announced to send her to Rajya Sabha, Hema Malini was going to America to stage her dance-drama ‘Radha-Krishna’. Hema Malini recalls that when she stopped at Paris airport and switched on her phone, there were hundreds of congratulatory messages. The day when BJP had announced to send her to the Upper House of Parliament, it was also Hema Malini’s 55th birthday and what could have been a better gift than this!
Who advised to leave BJP?
In 2004, when NDA lost power, Hema Malini became a little doubtful about her political future. Hema Malini told senior journalist Bhavana Somaya, who wrote her biography, that “When I actively joined BJP, the future of the party looked bright, but after a few months the party lost the elections. At that time some people asked me to come here. Even suggested that I leave BJP and join Congress. I started getting all kinds of advice. I listened to everyone, but did not listen to anyone’s advice. I stood firm with BJP…”
Hema Malini stumbled on stage
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP fielded Hema Malini from Mathura Lok Sabha seat and she reached the Lok Sabha by winning with a bumper vote. After this, she was successful in winning the elections in 2019 also. Rashid Kidwai, in his book, mentions an incident from Hema Malini’s first term. He writes that on 25 May 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Hema Malini’s parliamentary constituency Mathura in a program. Being an MP, Hema Malini was also called on the stage of the programme. He was not told in advance that he had to give a speech. Before she could settle down on the stage, suddenly the organizers of the program handed her the mike.
How did PM Modi handle the matter?
Hema Malini was shocked. He had made no preparation at all. Didn’t even know what to say. He spoke a few words in broken Hindi. After this she started staggering. After this the crowd started making noise. At this very moment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened and took the mike in his hand and handled the matter.
