With a number of celebrities putting on party colours in this election season, WWE wrestler ‘The Great Khali’, on Friday, 26 April, campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The wrestler featured in a rally for Anupam Hazra, the saffron party’s candidate from the Jadavpur seat in West Bengal.
Earlier, Hazra had tweeted saying that his ‘friend’ Khali would accompany him at his rally before he files his nomination.
“Khali is a good friend and is coming to Kolkata to stand by me just for the sake of friendship when I file my nomination on Friday. I don’t believe in stereotype politics where only political figures come to stand by candidates,” News18 quoted Hazra, as saying, in a report.
TMC Approaches EC Over Khali’s Citizenship
The Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, approached the Election Commission of India alleging that Khali is a US citizen, ANI reported.
“He (Khali) holds a US citizenship; therefore a foreigner shouldn't be allowed to influence the minds of Indian electors,” reads a letter dated 27 April.
In the Jadavpur seat, Hazra will be fighting against Trinamool Congress’ Mimi Chakraborty, an actress in the Bangla film industry and CPI(M) ‘s Sujan Chakraborty. In the 2014 general election, TMC’s Sugato Bose had bagged the seat.
(With inputs from ANI and News18)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)