‘Ramayan’ actor Arun Govil, who will be the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, thanked prime minister Narendra Modi and the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) for the opportunity.

The actor, who replaces the party’s sitting Meerut MP Rajendra Agarwal, is from the city. He joined the BJP in March 2021.

Govil, 72, became a household name in late 1980s after he played Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s TV adaptation of Ramayan. Also, he was among the guests to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

The BJP’s fifth list, meanwhile, also named another actor as a candidate: Kangana Ranaut will contest from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, her home state.

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases; on April 19, the first day of polling, as many as 102 of 543 Lok Sabha constituencies will vote, while on June 1, electors in 57 constituencies will get to exercise their right to vote. The counting of votes for all 543 seats will be held on June 4.

The BJP, under prime minister Narendra Modi, is aiming for a third straight term, with the PM himself targeting a hattrick of wins for the top post. It will be challenged by I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), a Congress-led coalition of more than two dozen opposition parties.