Stand-up comedian Gurpreet Ghuggi joined AAP in Punjab today
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has landed another well-known comedian in Punjab, which goes to polls next year.
Gurpreet Ghuggi, a veteran of films and TV shows, joined AAP today, becoming its second stand-up comic after Bhagwant Mann.
"Politicians have made people cry...politics has become a circus. We want to make people laugh by improving the situation," Mr Ghuggi, 44, told NDTV on his political debut.
Mr Ghuggi became popular after participating in the TV show "Great Indian Laughter Challenge" and went on to act in films like "Singh is King".
"I have a better and more secure future in films but I want to give back to the state that made me what I am," he told reporters.
His showbiz comrade and party colleague Bhagwant Mann tried to steer comedy-related questions firmly back to politics.
"Comedy is serious business...when I joined AAP people gave me lakhs of votes. Comedy looks good if the situation is good...Punjab is in deep trouble," said Mr Mann.
The 42-year-old AAP parliamentarian - one of the four lawmakers the party has in Punjab - battled controversy in October after being thrown out of a religious function allegedly because he was drunk.
"I can't think of comedy in the circumstances...issues like drugs menace, farmer suicides need serious attention," Mr Mann said.
Mr Ghuggi agreed with him. "Right now there is only worry. We can't think of comedy... We will be back on the comedy stage once the problems of the state are tackled," he said.
Arvind Kejriwal plans to go big with his campaign in Punjab after winning Delhi, which threatens the traditional dynamics in the state that has always seen a direct contest between the Akali-BJP coalition and the Congress.
Last month, he addressed a massive rally at Maghi Mela in Mukhtsar, wearing a bright yellow turban.
AAP will also hold the 'Punjab Dialogue' next month to seek public feedback on what should be their poll manifesto.