Comedian Shyam Rangeela, known for his videos mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has alleged that he was not allowed to file his nomination papers to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from the Varanasi seat against the Prime Minister.
Rangeela, who said he had been trying to file papers in Varanasi since Friday, May 10, stated that he was not allowed to enter the district magistrate's office on Tuesday, the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed nomination papers from the prestigious seat.
“They can reject my papers. But at least, take the documents," Rangeela said in a social media post.
Tuesday, May 14, is the last day to file nominations for the Varanasi seat, which will go to polls in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha Elections on June 1.
PM Modi, seeking a third term from Varanasi, won the seat by nearly 4.8 lakh votes in the 2019 elections. In the 2014 elections, the PM won the seat by a margin of 3.72 lakh votes.
Before Prime Minister Modi, around 14 people, including candidates from mainstream political parties and independents, submitted their nomination forms for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.
Congress candidate Ajai Rai and Bahujan Samajwadi Party's (BSP) Athar Ali Lari are also contesting for the seat.
Congress party jumped into the controversy, too. "Everyone is free to file a nomination, including PM Modi. However, other people cannot file their nominations from the constituency. A YouTuber named (Shyam) Rangeela, who wished to file a nomination from Varanasi, isn’t getting nomination papers from the administration. Why is PM Modi afraid of people? Let them contest against you," Congress leader Surendra Rajput told the PTI news agency.
Born and raised in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, Rangeela studied animation. He is known for his mimicry skills, especially of political figures. He was a contestant on the comedy show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ on TV. On May 1, he announced his intention to contest against PM Modi in Varanasi.
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