Knocking at strangers’ homes with a wide smile, small-screen anchor Aadesh Bandekar would yell, “Vahini daar ughad (sister-in law open the door)” for his popular game show for housewives of Maharashtra called Home Minister. Today, Bandekar is knocking on the doors of voters to elect him to be an MLA.

The Marathi actor who was never actively associated with politics all his life has been abruptly pitched by the Shiv Sena as its candidate for Mahim constituency. Upsetting MLA Sada Sarvankar and losing him to the Congress, the Sena chose Bandekar to fight the Assembly polls. The fight to gain power in the traditional heartland of Sena in Mahim constituency will see a battle of three Maharashtrians to rake in the Marathi votes: Bandekar (Sena) versus Sarvankar (Congress) versus Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s general secretary, Nitin Sardesai.

Justifying Bandekar’s selection over Sarvankar, Sena’s spokesperson Neelam Gorhe says, “We wanted to give a chance to a new face in the party, and there were many activists who were upset with Sarvankar. Bandekar’s popularity is not the only factor but the fact that he has internalised the Sena’s ideology and is committed to the party also counts.”

After being in the TV media all his adult life and being immensely popular as an anchor in the Marathi TV industry, Bandekar says the switch to political career was not difficult. He claims to have been a Shiv Sainik all his life. “When I was young I used to help in campaigning for the Sena in Abhyudaya Nagar by arranging tables to display pamphlets . I would perch a saffron flag on my cycle and roam around the area to campaign,” he says.

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