In Pics: Political journey of famous characters of Mahabharat and Ramayan

New Delhi, Oct 5: BJP leader Roopa Ganguly, who is known for essaying the role of the mythological character Draupadi in the hit television series Mahabharat, was on Tuesday nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Ganguly, who had unsuccessfully contested the West Bengal Assembly elections this year on BJP ticket, was nominated by President Pranab Mukherjee to the seat vacated by cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who resigned recently following differences with the BJP leadership.

Here are the list of actor and actress who took political plunge after playing role in Mahabharat and Ramayan.

Roopa Ganguly

The 49-year-old actor came into limelight with the 1988 mega-mythological serial Mahabharat, where she played the role of Draupadi. She has also acted in a few Hindi and Bengali films in the 1990s and the 2000s.

Ganguly had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2015.

Nitish Bharadwaj

He played role of LordKrishnain B. R. Chopra's television seriesMahabharat.

Bharadwaj started his political journey in 1996 Lok Sabha election.

He was elected to Lok Sabha as an MP from Jamshedpur.

In 1999 Lok Sabha elections, he was defeated by Laxman Singh (brother of then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh,Digvijaya Singh).

He has been active in Bollywood. Recently Bharadwaj was seen in Hindi movie ‘Mohenjo Daro'.

Gajendra Chauhan

Best known for his on-screen character of Yudhishthira.

Started political journey in 2004 as BJP member.

He hit headlines recently after BJP appointed him chief of the Film andTelevision Institute of India (FTII).

Students termed government's move a blatant attempt tosaffronizethe institute.

Raj Babbar

Played the role of kingBharata, ancestor of the Pandavas andKauravas in Mahabharat.

Started political career from Janata Dal in 1989. Later he joined SP and was elected MP for three times.

He joined Congress in 2008 after SP suspended him from the party.

In 2009 Lok sabha polls, he defeated Dimple Yadav, wife ofAkhilesh Yadavand daughter-in-law ofMulayam Singh Yadav.

Currently, he is president of Uttar Pradesh congress committee (UPCC).

Mukesh Khanna

Best known for his role of Bhishma Pitamah in Mahabharat and television serialShaktimaan.

Reports say that he campaigned for BJP in many elections, but party didn't give him ticket to contest elections.

These days he is busy with his two acting schools inJaipurandAgra. In 2014, he was seen in Malayalam film Rajadhi Raja along withMammootty.

Arun Govil

Played role of Lord Rama in 1986 Ramanand Sagar's hit television seriesRamayan.

He was associated with Congress in late eighties and even campaigned for late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi once.

Recently news hit headlines that he will most likely join BJP but it was officially not confirmed.

Deepika Chikhalia

Played role of Sita in Ramayan.

Started political sojourn in 1991when she was elected as the BJPLok Sabha MP from Vadodara.

Later she left politics and married to a Mumbai industrialist Hemant Topiwala who runs a cosmetic company.

Thesec days she is looking after her husband's company.

Arvind Trivedi

Played role of demon Ravan in Ramayan.

In 1991, he was elected as an MP from BJP. In 2002, he was appointed acting chairman of the film censor board.

Dara Singh

Best known for his role of Hanuman.

Dara Singh became the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

In 2003, Atal Bihari Vajpayee led BJP government sent him to upper house. He died in year 2012.