Now elections have changed a lot. But once there was a great contest between Bollywood in the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. This is about the by-election of 1992 when superstar Rajesh Khanna won the election.
Vivek Shukla, New Delhi: When you pass through the underpass from Baba Kharak Singh Marg towards the ancient Hanuman temple in Connaught Place, you will definitely notice the plaque on the underpass. The question that comes to mind is why the name of a yesteryear Bollywood superstar is on this underpass? Actually, Rajesh Khanna represented the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat from 1992 to 1996. In 1992, Rajesh Khanna contested and won the Lok Sabha by-election from the New Delhi seat.
The 1992 election was very unique
The 1992 by-election was a unique contest between two Bollywood giants. Rajesh Khanna, who was contesting on a Congress ticket, was pitted against his Bollywood colleague and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shatrughan Sinha. BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani had won both Gandhinagar and New Delhi seats in the 1991 general elections. He later left the New Delhi seat. In 1991, Advani won over Rajesh Khanna by a margin of less than 1500 votes. Senior journalist Arun Kumar says, ‘Even though Advani managed to win that contest, it was Rajesh Khanna who won the hearts of the people. He had worked very hard in his first attempt at election. He even left Advani behind in some assembly seats like Minto Road and Gole Market.’
Memorable Moments with Rajiv Gandhi
Even after so many years, Delhiites remember the photo of Rajesh Khanna helping Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi cast their votes at the Nirman Bhawan polling booth on May 20, 1991. This turned out to be Rajiv Gandhi’s last photo in Delhi, as he was assassinated in a blast the very next day.
Kaka’s victory and a broken friendship
Rajesh Khanna had taken a lead over Shatrughan Sinha right from the beginning in the by-election. He contacted voters through door-to-door campaigns and made promises to the public. Rajesh Khanna won the by-election with a huge margin. Sunil Negi, Rajesh Khanna’s former media advisor, recalls, ‘Rajesh Khanna was very angry at his Bollywood colleague contesting against him. To be honest, he never forgave him for contesting against him. Rajesh Khanna broke all relations with Sinha.’
Delhi has changed a lot between 1992 and 2024. Two generations have come of age, and Shatrughan Sinha’s political journey has taken him from the BJP to the Congress and now the Trinamool Congress. But as he walks down the streets of New Delhi, he is reminded of his friend and rival, Rajesh Khanna, whose legacy lives on in the heart of the capital.
Many people might be surprised to learn that there is a garden at National Park Colony, Lajpat Nagar, devoted to the memory of the late Rajesh Khanna. It is located next to the Moolchand Metro Station.
The park was named after the 1970s Bollywood celebrity because he had served the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat with care. It was inaugurated a few years ago by his wife, Dimple Kapadia.
The National Park Colony is a part of the New Delhi constituency, where Khanna ran and won the 1992 Lok Sabha by-election. As he represented the seat until 1996, he established himself as a well-liked and personable leader.
There was nothing like the 1992 by-election between these two titans of Bollywood. Shatrughan Sinha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) squared up against Khanna, who was representing the Congress party.
The election was required because BJP leader LK Advani decided to resign from his seat in New Delhi, which he had won in the general elections of 1991 along with Gandhinagar. In 1991, Advani defeated Khanna by a slim margin of fewer than 1,500 votes.
Remembers renowned journalist Aroon Kumar of the Hindustan Times: “People’s hearts were won by Khanna, even though Advani ji won that competition.” He put a lot of effort into his first election campaign. In a few assembly constituencies like Minto Road and Gole Market, he even degraded Advani ji.
Many Delhiites still remember the picture of Khanna helping Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi on May 20, 1991, at a polling station in Nirman Bhawan, even after all these years. Rajiv Gandhi was slain the next day, therefore this was his final shot taken in Delhi.
Following Advani’s exit, Sinha was the BJP’s candidate for the by-election. Sinha took up the challenge despite their close connection, paving the way for a well-publicized campaign. The results of the by-election were not very important to the Central Government, but they did garner a lot of media coverage. See News More……..