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On campaign trail with the face of Marathi TV

Adesh Bandekar stole the Marathi hearts through popular serials like Eka peksha Ek, Hafta Band. Bandekar's hugely popular programe called Home Minister has swept the womenfolk off their feet. Bandekar is trying his hand in politics this Maharashtra polls -- he is the Shiv Sena candidate in Mumbai's Mahim West, where the party headquarters Sena Bhavan is located.

It is one constituency which the Sena can't afford to lose. Sena's sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar left the party in disgust after he was denied a seat. So there is extra pressure on Bandekar to retain the seat.  

But there is no such pressure when he campaigns. On October 9, we caught up with Bandekar, who was campaigning near the Sena Bhavan.  

We entered a colony. Bandekar wielded the mike and started speaking. We could see men and women on every floor watching carefully. One woman was seen telling her child, "Do you recognize him, he is on TV every day?"

The 'home minister' spoke about his TV roles and then about his new role to serve them. He said he was a simple man coming from the mill backyards of Mumbai called 'girangaon'. He said that his USP is his middle-class background with his roots firmly attached to Indian values and traditions. 

Bandekar stressed his opponents cannot find anything to hold against him as his character is spotless and he is here to serve and not make money. He quoted Udhav Thakeray, too, and spoke about work done by Sena leaders.

Can Bandekar recreate the TV magic in politics? Watch this space.