Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt refutes reports claiming that he will be joining the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha ahead assembly elections. The actor in a public statement denied all such claims and stated that he won't be joining any political party. Sanjay Dutt further also stated that Maharashtra minister Mahadev Jankar is a close friend of his and wished him luck for future endeavors. 

"I will not be joining any political party. Mr. Jankar (Maharashtra minister Mahadev Jankar) is a dear friend & brother of mine and I humbly wish him good luck for his future endeavors," the statement read. 

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Reports of Sanjay Dutt re-entering politics

Reports of Sanjay Dutt re-entering politics nearly ten years after his maiden political venture as a Samajwadi Party candidate, surfaced recently. It stated that Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP) founder and Cabinet minister Mahadev Jankar has confirmed that Sanjay Dutt will be joining his party on 25h of September. The RSP is a junior ally of the ruling BJP in Maharashtra.

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As per media reports, Jankar had said the RSP was tapping the film industry to expand his party which mainly represents 'Dhangar' or the shepherd community.

"...We have started working in the film sector as well to expand our party. As part of which, actor Sanjay Dutt is also joining the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh on September 25," PTI quoted Jankar as saying while addressing a party event.

Media reports further state that he also played a pre-recorded video of Sanjay Dutt in which the latter has greeted the RSP and addressed Jankar as his 'brother'.

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Sanjay Dutt and Maharashtra assembly elections 

Sanjay Dutt was a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate for the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency in 2009 but withdrew after the court refused to suspend his conviction under the Arms Act. He was later appointed as the general secretary of the SP but resigned and subsequently quit the party. Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, rumours were doing rounds about Dutt might contest. He had then denied the reports.

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Dutt's father late Sunil Dutt had represented Mumbai northwest constituency as a Congress leader for five terms. He had also served as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the UPA-I government during 2004-May 2005 before his death. Sanjay Dutt's sister Priya Dutt is a former MP of the Congress from Mumbai. 

(With inputs from PTI)