Govinda took Dawood's help to defeat me: Ram Naik

Former union minister and Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik has alleged that actor Govinda took underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s help to defeat him in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. 

In his Marathi language memoir “Chaireveti, Chaireveti” (keep moving) the 82-year-old admitted that it was difficult for him to “come to terms” with the defeat handed by the Bollywood actor in Mumbai North constituency with a margin of 11,000 votes and alleged that Govinda drafted Dawood’s services to achieve the victory. 

Govinda refuted the allegations, saying: “Ram Naik ji is a senior



politician. It is not proper for him to make such allegations. Does he want to say that the 25 lakh voters in Mumbai North were influenced by Dawood?”

Contesting in Congress ticket, Govinda caused a major upset in 2004 by toppling Naik in Mumbai North, where he won five successive LS polls -1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar also played safe. "Ram Naik ji is a senior leader and an experienced politician, he has won several elections, he has analysed that. He also lost the elections and might have analysed it," he said.