Chandigarh (AGENCY) 18 March 2014 Protesters waved black flags and shouted slogans and threw eggs to signal their disapproval as actress turned politician Kirron Kher arrived in Chandigarh along with her husband Anupam Kher today to begin campaigning as the BJP’s candidate.
Interestingly, the protests were not sponsored by her rivals, model and actor Gul Panag of the Aam Aadmi Party or Congressman and sitting MP, Pawan Kumar Bansal. These were members of the BJP, who were annoyed that the party chose to field Kirron Kher, who arrived at the party headquarters to slogans of, “Kirron Kher go back”.
Local leaders like Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon, former MP Satya Pal Jain and former Union Minister Harmohan Dhawan were keen on being fielded and they are cut up at Kirron Kher’s nomination. The protesters were mostly supporters of Dhawan.
Kher, 58, immediately sought to dispel notions that she is an “outsider” parachuting in days before the elections. “I am the daughter of Chandigarh, it’s my hometown. I will persuade all those who are protesting,” and added, “If Bansal says I am an outsider, ask him why didn’t he take good care of Chandigarh.”
Anupam Kher said his wife, who makes her electoral debut, “will give a good fight. She is a Punjabi kudi (lass) and has done a lot of work for the party.” Four BJP workers have been rounded up by cops for allegedly throwing eggs at the actor.
Kirron Kher was named by the BJP to contest from Chandigarh only a couple of days after the AAP announced it was fielding the 35-year-old Gul Panag, who, like Kher, possesses a deeply dimpled smile.