CHANDIGRAH: As actor Kirron Kher arrived in Chandigarh today to begin what has been described on Twitter as “the battle of dimples,” a group of protesters waved black flags to signal their disapproval of her contesting the general elections from the city. They were not sponsored by her rivals, model and actor Gul Panag of the Aam Aadmi Party or Congressman and sitting MP, Pawan Kumar Bansal. The wavers of black flags were members of the BJP, who are disgruntled that the party chose to field her.
Ms 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.”
She did not mention Ms Panag, recently named by Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP to contest from here, but her husband and popular actor Anupam Kher made it clear that his very visible support for Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement did not extend to AAP, the political party it spawned. He 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.”
Ms 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 Ms Kher, possesses a deeply dimpled smile. Social media is replete with quips on how the lack of that attribute puts the Congress candidate MR Bansal, who has won this seat four times, at a disadvantage.
What has put the sitting MP and former union minister on the back foot this time though is the shadow of controversy. He had to resign as Railways Minister after his nephew Vijay Singla was accused in the Rs. 10 crore cash-for-post bribery scam in his ministry. Mr Bansal was not named in the CBI’s chargesheet, but eyebrows have been raised at the Congress’ decision to re-nominate him.

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