Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt surprised the world of cinema and politics on Friday by announcing that he had decided to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections as a Samajwadi Party candidate from Lucknow,opening a new chapter in a life and career that has already seen a fair share of drama. The announcement at a late evening press conference came days after SP leader Amar Singh indicated his party's interest in fielding him,or at least his wife Maanyata,from the constituency represented by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The news had caused an apparent rift in the Dutt family with his younger sister Priya,a Congress MP from Mumbai North-West,saying Sanjay would be going against the family tradition if he contested as a SP candidate as the Dutt family had been loyal to the Congress for decades. But Sanjay,who was shooting in Srinagar,had refused to confirm or deny Amar Singh's remarks saying he would speak his mind on returning to Mumbai today. I am going to contest on SP ticket,I think this is the party for me. They were the first ones to approach me and I said yes. And it is not like the Congress and SP are different. SP is supporting the Congress party in Parliament,so it is an alliance, Sanjay said at the press conference held at his Bandra residence. But he also added that his family had a long relationship with the Congress and that he respected Sonia Gandhi. With reports surfacing that the siblings had fallen out over Sanjay's decision and that they had not been talking to each other,Sanjay said he was the eldest in the family and was free to take his decisions. "I do not think that she said anything,but if she did in anger,then I forgive her. My father and mother would forgive us,and now as the eldest in the family,I forgive my younger sister," said Sanjay.
