Arun Govil, TV's Most Famous Ram Joins BJP, Says, ‘Mamata Banerjee's Irritation With Jai Shri Ram Was A Trigger Point’

Just days before assembly elections in four states and a Union territory, actor Arun Govil, who played Lord Ram in the iconic 1987 television show Ramayan, has joined the BJP. Govil is expected to campaign for the BJP in the four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry going to polls soon, though it is not yet clear if he will contest the elections. With this move, the party is seen to aim for right-wing voters in the states where elections will be held starting March 27. Govil’s induction into the party came on the day the BJP named candidates for 148 of 159 West Bengal Assembly seats that go to poll in the last four phases, fielding several actors and artiste. At his first press conference, Arun Govil said there was nothing wrong in saying "Jai Shri Ram", the phrase heard often at BJP rallies & marches in Bengal, where it is hoping to form its maiden government. "West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's irritation with Jai Shri Ram was a trigger point for me to join the BJP,” he said. Interestingly, at the peak of his popularity in the 1980s, Govil supported the Congress. BJP had given tickets to actors from the same series who had played Ravan (Arvind Trivedi) and Sita (Deepika Chikhaliya); both became MPs.