Comedian Shyam Rangeela Says He Is To Contest From Varanasi Against Prime Minister (Photo on X Shyam Rangeela @ShyamRangeela)

Comedian Shyam Rangeela has announced his entry into electoral politics saying that he can do it through comedy as politics has entered the world of comedy.

In an interview with Indian Express, the mimicry artist says that his dream of appearing in television shows was disrupted by politics entering the world of comedy. Having said that, the entertainer famous for mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking his career into politics. The 29-year-old comedian says he is set to contest against the Prime Minister in Varanasi and has declared that he would reach the constituency this week to file his nomination. 

“if people can fall for Modi ji”, they can vote for me too,” said Shyam Rangeela when asked why people should vote for him.

During his interview, Shyam Rangeela explains that his political entry was not merely symbolic and that he would contest the election wholeheartedly, adding that the decision was to ensure that democracy lives on. 

Talking about his political entry, the artist said that he is standing there to at least tell the people that “we won’t let democracy come under threat here.”

Referring to the alleged use of central agencies such as ED to suppress the opposition, the comedian said that he is an original monk and that if his accounts were checked, nothing would be found. 

Saying that he used to be a diehard Modi fan till 2016-17, Shyam Rangeela claims that the restrictions on his comedy shows made his work more difficult. He says that he would get offers from TV shows, but once he reached for the shows and submitted his script, the organisers would reject his approval, adding that he got removed from one show after another,” he said. 

Notably, in 2022, Shyam Rangeela joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claiming that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party does not engage in the blame game politics. Yet, the comedian had expressed his wish to work independently.