Shyam Rangeela: 5 Facts About the Mimic Planning to Challenge PM Modi in Lok Sabha Polls

Comedian Shyam Rangeela, renowned for his impersonations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has declared his intent to run for the Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh as an Independent candidate. His motive is to provide voters in Varanasi with an alternative choice, as opposed to the uncontested wins of BJP’s Mukesh Dalal and Shankar Lalwani in Surat and Indore. Shyam Rangeela, also known as Shyam Sundar, hails from the Manaktheri Barani village in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district, born in 1994.

Despite initially pursuing an animation course, Rangeela’s passion for comedy led him into mimicry and stand-up. In 2017, his flawless imitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge stage catapulted him to fame, with the video going viral on social media and quickly elevating him to stardom. He also mimicked former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

In 2022, Shyam Rangeela joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Rajasthan. Prior to joining the party, he had publicly expressed disappointment, addressing Prime Minister Modi in tweets, and highlighting the lack of opportunities to appear on TV shows due to people “fearing” the Prime Minister, questioning if his “mimicry was a crime.” Rangeela claims that he had supported PM Modi and the BJP in the 2014 general elections.

However, he expressed a change of heart due to the growing “intolerance towards satire and mimicry of politicians” over the last 10 years. This compelled him to venture into politics and offer an alternative choice to the voters of Varanasi.