Dehradun: Champion marksman, Jaspal Rana, the ace shooter of yesteryears, is aiming to make a mark in politics, this election.
He's contesting from the Tehri seat on a BJP ticket and is targeting young voters with the promise of creating jobs within the state.
"Main chahunga ki education ka saath saath technical knowledge uskay barey main unhay knowledge di jaye, waise institute kholey jaye, aur saath saath job opportunities unkay ghar, gaon main di jaye," he says. ( With education I would like the youth to be given technical knowledge so that they can qualify for jobs within the hill state.)
Rana's skills as a sportsperson is pretty well known, but can he make it big in politics?
"Mera manana yeh hai, jo khel khel sakta hai woh rajniti ka khel avashyak roop main jeet sakta hai," said Nirmala, a local. ( A person who plays sports can definitely make a mark in the game of politics)
"Humay umeed hai ki pahadho kay viskas kay liye jaspal kharey utrengay," said Shishpal, another local. (We are sure that Jaspal will win and bring about progress in the hills.)
Will ace shooter Jaspal Rana be able to hit bulls eye this political season? Will fan following in his native Uttarakhand translate into votes? All this will be made clear in a few weeks from now.