Ravinder Singh Negi has become a prominent name in Delhi political circles after a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi touching his feet went viral. During a rally in Delhi’s Ghonda, Modi was seen touching Negi’s feet three times, sparking curiosity about him. Negi, the BJP candidate from Patparganj, stood out as he reciprocated the gesture after touching Modi’s feet.
Negi, 45, is currently a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillor representing Vinod Nagar, part of the Patparganj Assembly constituency. He is contesting against AAP’s Avadh Ojha and Congress’ Anil Kumar.
Negi’s political career took off in 2020 when he ran against Manish Sisodia, then Deputy Chief Minister and AAP candidate from Patparganj, narrowly losing by just 2%. This time Sisodia has shifted to Jangpura seat.
In the 2022 MCD elections, Negi won by defeating the AAP candidate by a margin of 2,311 votes. His rise within the BJP has been swift, thanks to his grassroots approach. He previously held the position of Zila Mahamantri in the Delhi unit, gaining prominence after the 2020 elections.
Is Ravinder Singh Negi a controversial figure?
Negi stirred controversy in October last year when he was seen urging shopowners in East Delhi’s Mandawali to rename their businesses based on their religion. A viral video showed him asking a shopkeeper to change the name of his dairy to reflect that a Muslim owned it.
Negi shared multiple videos of similar interactions on social media, where he emphasized, “I don’t have a personal issue with any Muslim brother, I just want them to name their shops according to their identity and run their businesses peacefully.”