Lok Sabha Election 2024: Bollywood actor Govinda joins Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena

Bollywood actor Govinda

Bollywood actor Govinda on March 28 joined Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena ahead of Lok Sabha polls.

"I am back (in politics) after a 14-year-long 'vanvas' (exile)," he remarked. Govinda said he would work in the art and culture field if given a chance.

#WATCH | Veteran Bollywood actor Govinda joins Shiv Sena in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde pic.twitter.com/vYu2qYDrlO

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— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2024

Read: Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress spar over Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra

In 2004, the Congress party nominated Govinda for the Mumbai-North Lok Sabha seat, where he defeated BJP’s veteran leader Ram Naik. However, he later parted ways with the Congress and did not contest in subsequent Lok Sabha polls.

The Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, along with the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar, both part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), have already held discussions with the BJP, and a final agreement on seat allocation is expected soon.

Maharashtra, the state with the second-most 48 Lok Sabha seats, will conduct the 2024 general elections in five phases. The polls are scheduled to take place from April 19 to May 20, with the by-election for the Akola West assembly seat during the second phase of voting.

The polling will be held  on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20, with all six constituencies in Mumbai voting in the fifth phase. In 2019, the polls were conducted over four phases, while in 2014, they were held in three phases.