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'Until The Courts Clear My Son, I Cannot Contest'

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'Until The Courts Clear My Son, I Cannot Contest'
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With Sanjay Dutt out on bail since October, and playing the lead role in Mahaanta, and his father's white topiclad appearance at the odd Congress function, the MPCC's election committee took it as a green signal. On March 21, Sunil Dutt's name was recommended, along with Bombay's three other sitting MPs, to the AICC's central parliamentary board. When the lists came up for discussion in Delhi, Narasimha Rao was told that Dutt was backing out. The filmstar's letter to Rao followed, declining the Congress offer of a fourth consecutive ticket. "They are persuading him to change his mind before the last date for withdrawals," says a Dutt confidant.

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For that the Congress will have to find an answer to the question Dutt has been asking—"What will I tell the people when my son has not been cleared of TADA charges?" That the Congress did not hold his hand when he knocked on every door to get Sanjay out from the list of 193 accused in the serial blasts of March '93 doesn't help. That he found an unlikely champion in Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who roared his discontent against the system that had trapped Dutt junior, makes it worse. It has made everyone believe that the reason for Dutt opting out was this moral support, though Thackeray denies putting pressure on Dutt to pull out of the fray.

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But going by his own assertion, the MP who has thrice won Bombay North West, home to most of Bollywood, seems to be TADA's latest victim. "My son's trial is not his alone. The entire family is involved in proving him innocent. Until the courts wipe out the blemish on the Dutt family, I do not have the moral strength to go to the people and seek their votes," says Dutt. The filmstar says he will contest on a Congress ticket "once the courts give their verdict".

Sunil Dutt's fortunes have always been double-edged. Way back in the '70s he shot Reshma Shera in Rajasthan. It won him awards and heavy losses. It took him a decade to recoup financially, and then came Nargis Dutt's illness and death, son Sanjay's long tryst with drugs. And just when the story should have ended happily, Sanjay was in handcuffs, accused of participating in the Bombay blasts. "When he himself was treated as a traitor, how can he contest? And how will he face questions about Sanjay?" asks a long-time associate of the filmstar.

Running from lawyer to Supreme Court and back to seek bail for his son, Sunil Dutt was in no mood to pep up the Congress' assembly election campaign. Insiders blame Sharad Pawar for much of Sunil Dutt's misfortunes, alleging that it started soon after the filmstar-politician refused to back his candidature for prime minister following Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. But these are not things Sunil Dutt speaks of, as he offers his services for the campaign with a condition: all over India, but just a few seats.

This includes his home seat, says former Bombay mayor Nirmala Samant-Prabhavalkar, who is contesting in his place. "His goodwill in the constituency and popularity will certainly be my advantage," says Samant, placing her bets on the Dutt charisma to win. Facing her is the Sena's fiery legislator Madukar Sarpotdar—his achievements include detention under the National Security Act for his role in the Bombay riots. Sarpotdar may have all the back-up of militant Hindutva, but what he needs is the trump card in this constituency: Sunil Dutt.

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