Actor-turned-politician Kolhe leverages on-stage charisma in poll campaign

Actor-turned-politician Amol Kolhe is back to the old strategy as he attempts to leverage his on-stage and on-screen charisma in his current election campaign.

Back in 2019, Kolhe’s television popularity proved advantageous during his electoral run for the Shirur Lok Sabha seat as crowds swarmed to his rallies, thanks to his presence in TV serials. Winning the election bolstered his political standing, especially after the split in the party following Ajit Pawar’s rebellion.

Fast forward five years, with the TV serials where Kolhe portrayed leading roles as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj no longer airing, he is banking on the play ‘Shivaputra Sambhaji’ to rekindle that old charm and connect with voters.

Contesting as the Shirur Lok Sabha candidate from NCP (SP), a party led by Sharad Pawar, Kolhe has recently been actively participating in the play across Pune and Ahmednagar districts, while also utilising social media to amplify his presence in it. In Shirur, Kolhe is locked in a fierce battle against Ajit Pawar-led NCP’s Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil.

The contest in Shirur has become prestigious for both sides after Ajit Pawar publicly challenged Kolhe to get re-elected.

Situated in the northeastern part of Pune district, Shirur Lok Sabha constituency boasts numerous historical landmarks, including Shivneri fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and Vadu Budruk, where Sambhaji Maharaj’s memorial stands.

In between campaigning, Kolhe intermittently takes breaks to visit these historical sites, documenting his visits on social media to further bolster his image and connect with constituents.

An analysis of his posts on social media suggests that Kolhe posting messages that have references to his previous roles which is being well received by many, especially the youth and women.

Born in Narayangaon of Pune district, Kolhe completed his schooling at village school and Apte Prashala in Pune. He later studied medical education and made an impression in acting.

As Kolhe is trying to leverage his acting profession for election, rival candidates and some citizens have been critical of him for the last few weeks.

In their letter, members of Team Wagholi Against Corruption on March 22 said, “Kolhe’s acting skills are commendable but the work he has done as an MP is nothing to be seen.”

Kolhe responded to the letter with a series of developmental projects he initiated. He said, “The work on the water supply scheme is 85% complete and ₹6.5 crore has been sanctioned by PMRDA for the road work in the Wadhu area. The work on the water treatment plant has been completed too, he said, adding that an elevated road has been sanctioned and NHAI has approved ₹7,514 crore for the project.”

On the other hand, Adhalrao Patil who was formerly with Shiv Sena and recently joined the NCP said, “Kolhe is just an actor. He is a good orator but misuses the dialogues and his image on screen. He has not done anything for the constituency in the last five years.”

Kolhe has already responded to this saying, “Among the various issues affected Shirur included Nashik -Pune Highway, bullock cart race and Nashik-Pune semi-speed rail network. Whatever allegations made by the opposition party; they are not able to resolve these issues for the last many decades. In my last five years of tenure, The Nashik -Pune Highway was completed. The bullock cart races started after the Supreme Court’s decision. The Pune Nashik railway got all the approvals, but the Central government unnecessarily stopped it. Apart from that, we are sorting out the traffic problem of Chakan and Ranjangao MIDCs. The multilevel flyovers are proposed. Tenders are already floated, and work would start on the ground very soon.”

Kolhe has also criticised Adhalrao Patil, saying he used to taunt him over the acting profession.

Interestingly, Adhalrao’s former party Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde recently welcomed Bollywood actor Govinda to his party.