New Delhi, Nov 16 (Agency) The Congress has fielded popular actor Vikram Mastal against Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Vikram Mastal is a 40-year-old actor who joined Congress in July this year in a ceremony attended by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. Mr Mastal will contest the upcoming assembly elections from Budhni assembly constituency – the stronghold of incumbent Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Mr Mastal, born in Sehore district’s Salkanpur temple town situated close to Budhni, played the role of Lord Hanuman in the 2008 TV serial ‘Ramayan 2’. When asked why he is contesting the elections, he said, “Lack of development in Budhni prompted me to join politics. Does it look like the constituency of a four-term chief minister?” Besides ‘Ramayan’, Mr Mastal has acted in other shows and films such as ‘Top Gear’ (2022), ‘Battle of Saragarhi’ (2017), and ‘Aashram’ (2020).