‘Can’t Just Sit & Do Nothing Thinking It’s Impossible To Defeat Modi’: Heena Shahid, Modi’s Challenger In Varanasi
A fashion designer and the daughter of Indian Hockey Legend Mohammad Shahid, she wants to voice women’s issues in the polls.
Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency is attracting more and more political underdogs standing up to the PM. The latest in this list of fighters is Heena Shahid, the daughter of hockey legend Mohammed Shahid. As per a report in Prabhat Khabar, while Heena understands that she may lack the political clout to take on Modi, she is determined to challenge him.
Speaking to the daily, she said, “I can’t just sit and do nothing, thinking that it is impossible to defeat Modi. I am not afraid of defeat. I’m here to play the long game. I know that a lot of people here (Varanasi) don’t even know me, but that won’t stop me from asking for one opportunity to prove my self. “
Heena is contesting the seat from the Janhit Party. Her journey may be a little tough. A fashion designer by profession, Heena is mostly known as the late Olympian’s daughter. She is yet to make a name for herself, but she intends to carve out her niche. She plans to fight on the plank of women’s issues.
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She added, “I did not enter politics with personal issues. After my father’s passing, many parties asked my mother to join politics, but we were not prepared for it. I will now be fighting to amplify women’s issues.”
While she believes that PM Modi has done some work in Varanasi, her contention is the kind of caste politics that is at play. “Almost all political parties are dividing the youth in the name of caste. This makes my heart hurts. It is necessary to oppose it, and we have to come forward.”
Varanasi votes on May 19.