UP: Dharmendra releases emotional audio appeal for votes for Hema

AGRA: An audio clip of Bollywood star Dharmendra appealing for votes for his wife MP Hema Malini who is seeking re-election from Mathura has been widely shared on social media.

Using his screen names ‘Satyakam’, ‘Dharamveer’ and ‘Veeru’, Dharam, as he calls himself in the two-minute and 51-second-long clip, urges voters of Mathura for a record victory margin for Hema Malini. He starts his message with the slogan ‘Giriraj Maharaj ki jai ho. Radhe Radhe’ and says that he is indebted to the people for the love given to him.

Giving an emotional touch to his appeal, Dharmendra says, “Today I am seeking a big victory for Hema in this election with a hope that you will not disappoint me.” He says that this will be a victory for everyone including farmers and youths.

“Hema is a Krishna devotee. She is eternally connected with Mathura and she wants to do work for the people. I want her desire to be fulfilled and I have full faith in you that you will make this possible,” says Dharmendra.

Hema Malini confirmed that the audio message was of Dharmendra. She also said that he would be visiting Mathura soon and will be by her side for campaigning.

Dharmendra had kept away from campaigning in Mathura during the last elections when the Modi wave was sweeping the nation. With five years of anti-incumbency and the Jat anger against BJP, it might not be smooth sailing for Hema in this election, as this constituency has a Jat population of 4.5 lakh, which holds the key to the success of the winning candidate.

Hema has been active in politics since 1999 when she campaigned for the first time for the party and she formally joined BJP in 2004. Before becoming MP in 2014, she was Rajya Sabha MP. She defeated Jayant Chaudhary, grandson of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, in 2014 by a huge margin of 3.3 lakh votes in 2014. Now she is pitted in a triangular fight with RLD’s Kunwar Narendra Singh, who has been fielded as the candidate of SP-BSP-RLD alliance and Congress’s Mahesh Pathak, a Brahmin face intended to divide BJP’s upper caste votes.