Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has become a hit as a star campaigner for his party, the Congress, in Madhya Pradesh as he seeks votes for his party in the poll-bound state. Known for his wit and impromptu poetry, Sidhu appears to have struck a chord with the state’s potential voters as he was seen mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his rallies.
On Friday, Sidhu was addressing a crowd in Rau, Indore, to seek votes for Congress candidate Jitu Patwari. Dressed in his traditional pathani suit, Sidhu became an instant hit as he started his speech by calling Madhya Pradesh’s incumbent chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, mama (uncle). He told the audience, “mama to gayo (Mama is gone).”
Even before his audience could stop cheering and applauding, Sidhu continued, this time targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi by addressing him as Thakur. He continues, “Thakur bhi gayo (PM Modi too is gone).”
Thakur is a popular character from Bollywood blockbuster Sholay. Thakur is also regarded as a powerful man in a village.
Sidhu also did not miss an opportunity to mimic PM Modi as he addressed his audience. He said, “Do you know who Thakur is? Bhaiyo aur behno (brothers and sisters).” This evoked another round of applause from his audience, who clearly understood that he was mimicking Modi. Modi is often seen starting his public rallies or speeches with his popular lines Bhaiyo aur behno.
BJP’s Sambit Patra had recently asked Sidhu to join the cabinet of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan for his recent visit to the neighbouring country. However, on Friday, Sidhu was widely hailed for his role in the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, which many felt was possible only because of his trip to Pakistan and meeting with Pakistani army chief General Qamar Bajwa.
Madhya Pradesh goes to polls on 28 November, while the counting will take place next month on 11 December.