Who does not know Dharmendra, the ‘Heman’ of the Hindi film industry. This famous actor passed away recently. Let us tell you that he entered politics, contested the elections and then said goodbye to politics. But very few people know at whose behest he joined the BJP and under whose pressure he agreed to contest the elections. This story of Dharmendra’s political journey is connected with the 2003 Rajasthan elections.
How did the friendship between Dharmendra and Vijay Punia start?
In 1977, Dharmendra came to Jaipur to shoot a film. There, he met Vijay Punia, who belonged to a prominent business and political family. This meeting blossomed into a lasting friendship. The two developed a close relationship. Dharmendra had also attended Vijay Punia’s daughter’s wedding to do Kanyadaan and became very emotional at that time. Dharmendra and Hema Malini’s daughters also often stayed at the Punia family’s house. When Dharmendra used to come to Jaipur, he used to stay in Poonia’s bungalow, and when Poonia went to Mumbai, Poonia used to stay at their house.
Promoted to a friend’s wife and the equation changed
In the 2003 Rajasthan Assembly elections, Vijay Poonia’s wife, Usha Poonia, contested from Nagaur on a BJP ticket. There was close competition during the elections. Vijay Punia immediately thought of Dharmendra. He called Dharmendra, and the actor campaigned in his support without hesitation. Dharmendra’s famous dialogue in Sholay created such an atmosphere that Usha Punia won the election. This laid the foundation for Dharmendra’s entry into politics.
Vasundhara Raje gave the offer
The then Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was aware of the friendship between Dharmendra and the Punia family. Before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Bikaner seat was considered a tough one for the BJP. Vasundhara Raje asks Vijay Punia to convince Dharmendra to contest the election. Dharmendra initially refuses, but citing friendship, he meets Vasundhara Raje in Delhi. After the talks, Dharmendra not only joined the BJP but also agreed to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Bikaner.
Won the election under difficult circumstances
According to Vijay Punia, Dharmendra lacked the support of many party leaders. Despite this, he defeated senior Congress leader Rameshwar Dudi. A huge rally attended by Sunny Deol during the election campaign turned the tide completely in favor of Dharmendra.
Why did they leave politics?
After becoming an MP, Dharmendra remained active for some time and did a lot for Bikaner. He also spoke to Governor Pratibha Patil to reduce university fees. But they did not fit into the manipulative environment of politics. Others often took credit for their work, which hurt them. Gradually, he distanced himself from politics. Finally, Dharmendra realized that politics was not his path. This was the reason why he reached the Mathura election campaign of his wife Hema Malini at the very last minute.