MOGA (PUNJAB): It is 5 p.m. in Punjabโs Moga and Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, who grabbed the limelight during the COVID pandemic in 2020, is still canvassing for his sister Malvika Sood, who is contesting Punjab assembly polls as a Congress candidate.
The elders in the dusty lanes of the small town describe Sonu Sood as not only an actor but also an โinternational figureโ, who worked tirelessly for the migrant workers and patients during the pandemic by assisting them and arranging help for them.
The elders call Sonu and his sister as their โbhatija and bhatijiโ, and also point out that Punjab being an industrial state has number of workers and it needs people like Sonu Sood, who work for the humanity as they have provided bicycles to workers to reach to their factories for work.
The actor has taken out time from his busy film schedule and is seen connecting with all the elders, women and youth in Moga assembly, which also happens to be his home town. He also accepts the request of youths and girls for clicking selfie with them.
Speaking to The New Indian while campaigning for his sister, Sonu Sood said, โI will like to correct that being a non-political person, I am just connecting with the people of my town.โ
โAll the people here are my own people, whom I have met since my childhood, whom I know and when today as I share my feeling, their requirements and the needs of this town is what I highlight. And the representative they choose must think about the town and I tell the same to my sister and also the people,โ the actor said.
When asked about that the Congress has not declared its chief ministerial candidate and there is a tight competition between sitting Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, the actor said, โBoth the leaders are very deserving and as it is a tough question. The senior leadership and the internal people of the party and the workers should decide with whom they feel more comfortable.โ
He said that he hopes that in next two to three days it will be clear who will be Congressโs chief ministerial candidate.
To a question that Punjab has faced the issue of drug menace and a Bollyowood movie named โUdta Punjabโ also came, he said, โI have already started a drive called โUthata Punjabโ as I want to uplift the state. Through this drive we work to uplift the people who are addicted to drugs.โ
He said that we treat people who are addicted to drugs and โwhile I am speaking treatment of such people is going onโ.
Making an appeal to people to connect with his โUthata Punjabโ drive for drug eradication, Sonu Sood said, โI appeal to all the people who have any problem relating to drug addiction we will try to help them with our drive.โ
When pointed out about his special connection with Bihar especially through his hit movie โDabanggโ, in which he starred along with Bollywood actor Salman Khan, he, โThere is a very serious connection from Bihar, as many of my friends are from there. The entire character of Chedi Singh in my movie โDabanngโ was inspired from my many friends of Bihar whose style of sitting and speaking I adopted. I also incorporated one of my friendโs passion of keeping a personal photographer who keeps on saying โBhaiyaji smileโ in the movie. โ
He also said that he has traveled to Biharโs Sitamarhi district that shares borders with Nepal. โBiharโreally rocksโ, he said .
Besides his visits to the assembly constituency of his sister, his house in the heart of Moga town is also bustling with several people coming for medicines and seeking the actorโs help for the treatment of their family members and for other requirements.
โWe are helping the needy through Sood foundation, which I formed a decade ago in memory of our parentsโ, Sonu added.
His sister Malvika Sood, who is youngest of the three siblings, is a prominent philanthropist in Moga town and is known for her social work in the education, employment and health sectors. She is facing BJP candidate Hartoj Kamal, a sitting MLA from Congress who switched his party after Malvikaโs name was announced, and SADโ Makhan Brar. Even AAP has fielded Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora.
Punjab goes to polls in single phase on February 20 and counting of votes will take place on March 10.
