Maharashtra: Bhagat Singh's grandnephew campaigns for rebel BJP MLA

Vikram Singh Sandhu, the grandnephew of revolutionary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, has been campaigning for rebel BJP leader and sitting MLA Narendra Pawar who is contesting from Kalyan West as an independent candidate in the upcoming Maharashtra elections. This is the first time a member from Bhagat Singh’s lineage has been campaigning for a politician, let alone someone who is contesting elections.

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'First of Bhagat Singh's family to campaign'

"I personally request everyone to kindly vote for Pawar and make him win in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly election. Pawar has done brilliant work earlier as well so nobody can compete with him. This is the first time when someone from my family has decided to campaign for a politician. Nobody has ever entered politics from my family," Sandhu was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"Pawar is honest and loyal that's why I have decided to campaign for him. His election symbol is a whistle and the idea behind this symbol is to wake up the citizens by blowing a whistle and show them the correct way," he added. 

Notably, Pawar did not receive a ticket from BJP which is touted as the reason for him fighting the upcoming elections on an independent ticket.

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First of the Thackeray family to contest

This election will see many firsts. Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of Shiv Sena has been in politics since 1966, despite having firm hold during the formative years of the party which has been reasonably consistent in Maharashtra, members from Thackeray family never contested for elections. However, in a first, Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena founder’s grandson, will be the first member of the family who will be contesting in the elections. Aaditya Thackeray will be contesting from Worli. The Shiv Sena Youth Leader carried out a mega roadshow ahead of filing his nomination. 

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Maharashtra, which has 288 Assembly seats, will go to polls along with Haryana on October 21, 2019. Maharashtra assembly elections will be held in a single-phase and the counting procedure would be conducted on October 24. 

(With ANI inputs)

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