Congress candidate Urmila Matondkar on Monday rode a bike to file her poll papers from Mumbai North, where she has been fielded against BJP's Gopal Shetty.
Ms Matondkar, who joined the party last month after a meet with Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi, took out a roadshow after filing nomination and greeted crowds with folded hands from the sunroof of an SUV. She was seen wearing a turban.
हमारे संविधान और लोकतंत्र की मजबूती के लिए आप 5-5-5 के माध्यम से मेरे चुनावी अभियान का हिस्सा बन मेरे हाथों को मजबूत करें | मेरे चुनावी अभियान से जुड़ने के लिए 730-360-2019 पर मिस्ड कॉल करें | @IYC @INCIndia @milinddeora @Allavaru @SurajThakurINC #AapliMumbaichiMulagi pic.twitter.com/cfzhvxmZts
— Urmila Matondkar (@OfficialUrmila) April 9, 2019
In a tweet, she shared a picture of the roadshow and thanked people for the "immense support". "Thank you all members of media and all my supporters for immense support. #AapliMumbaichiMulagi, (sic)" she wrote.
Thank you all members of media and all my supporters for immense support. 🙏😇 #AapliMumbaichiMulagi pic.twitter.com/t7lG4ehxY5
— Urmila Matondkar (@OfficialUrmila) April 8, 2019
On her journey as a politician, she told: "The journey will be long... and I am sure it will be fruitful. I am very confident and I can feel people's support."
Ms Matondkar, who has appeared in popular Hindi films like "Rangeela" and "Satya" and in the critically-acclaimed "Masoom" as a child artiste, has been surrounded by controversies since she joined politics.
The power of democracy lies within these people and it can never be taken away. Thank you to my well wishers of Charkop, Kandivali West. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 #AapliMumbaichiMulagi 🙏 pic.twitter.com/1F9J25G9WM
— Urmila Matondkar (@OfficialUrmila) April 9, 2019
We stand up together. We fight together, my people of Borivali West. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 🙏 #AapliMumbaichiMulagi pic.twitter.com/w6dasbvWau
— Urmila Matondkar (@OfficialUrmila) April 9, 2019
She came under fire on Twitter for using Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman's photo during a roadside campaign. The Election Commission in a directive told political parties to not use the images of armed forces personnel in poll campaigns.
Earlier, a complaint was filed by a BJP worker, Suresh Nakhua, against Ms Matondkar, who accused her of making anti-Hindu comments in a TV interview. Dismissing the complaint, filed last week, as "bogus, baseless and filled with ulterior motives", Ms Matondkar had said: "I have been grossly misquoted by the complainant, who is a BJP member, with malafide intentions.
Visited Bhatladevi Mandir in Dahisar. What a blissful experience. 😇#AapliMumbaichiMulagi pic.twitter.com/vYhl9IVMfU
— Urmila Matondkar (@OfficialUrmila) April 8, 2019