Deol to file papers, fly to Mumbai for vote

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, April 28

Actor and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency Sunny Deol will fly back to Mumbai to cast his vote after filing his nomination and addressing a rally at PUDA ground, Tibri road, tomorrow.

Deol, who reached Amritsar today, will be casting his vote in Mumbai North West segment. The BJP headquarters in New Delhi is making his travel arrangements. 

The actor is scheduled to reach the rally venue accompanied by his father and veteran actor Dharmendra, brother Bobby Deol and Punjabi film actor and lawyer Deep Sidhu.

Sidhu is considered to be close to the Deol family and is the actor’s pointsman in the constituency. He arrived a couple of days ago and is coordinating with the local leadership. 

Since Deol’s itinerary is being chalked out by the BJP headquarters, local leaders were unaware of his travel plans.

Former MP Vinod Khanna’s widow Kavita, who expressed her disappointment with the party after being denied the ticket, and Mumbai-based businessman Swaran Salaria, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 bypoll, will be accompanying Deol when he files his papers. 

Both of them are flying in from New Delhi to Pathankot in a chartered plane along with Union Minister Gen VK Singh. It is believed that some senior leaders impressed upon both Kavita and Salaria to be present during the filing of the nomination so that “the party projects a united face and that a positive message is delivered to the party cadres.” 

SSP Swarandeep Singh today personally monitored the security arrangements. “Security will be tight keeping in view the fan following of the Deol family,” he said.

Sources disclosed that Sunny Deol will stay away from the constituency for a couple of days as the party has assigned him campaigning duties. Observers, however, claim that with time running out and with the Congress candidate, Sunil Jakhar, having started his campaign about a fortnight ago, this move could prove to be detrimental to the BJP.

Earlier in the day, Deol met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi before he flew in to Amritsar. 

Akali Dal and BJP workers have been told to reach the venue in a big way from all the nine Assembly seats of this parliamentary constituency. “The Congress will definitely get unnerved after seeing the strength at tomorrow’s gathering. We are going all out to ensure the event is a success,” said Ravi Karan Kahlon, SAD (youth wing) in-charge of Majha zone.

What struck me about Sunny Deol is his humility and deep passion for a better India. Happy to have met him today. We are all rooting for his victory in Gurdaspur. We both agree — Hindustan zindabad hai, tha aur rahega (Deol’s dialogue hailing the country from superhit movie ‘Gadar’) — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister