Dutee keen to hit the political track
BHUBANESWAR: India’s fastest woman Dutee Chand, who had caused a flutter a few months back by coming out about her same-sex relationship, is interested in joining politics. “I have always wanted to join politics since childhood. My family has also been involved in grassroots politics, with my mother being the sarpanch of our village,” tweeted Dutee on Monday.
“I’ll join politics if I get a chance in future. It was always my dream to enter politics. My family has been involved in politics for long. I am just 23 and yet to attain the age of becoming a MLA or MP. So far no political party has made an offer for me to join them. If I get any offer, I will surely consider. But right now I am focused on Tokyo Olympics next year,” she said.
Chand however made it clear that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was her party of choice. “Chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Achyuta Samanta (MP of Kandhamal) are my idols. What Naveen Patnaik has done for sports, very few politicians can do. He has organised international athletics events and hockey championships in Bhubaneswar. Similarly, Achyuta Samanta has done a lot for tribal students,” said Chand. Incidentally, she had campaigned for Samanta in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Soon after announcing her decision to join politics, several of her Twitter followers asked her to focus on running. Chand however is not ready to have a rethink.
“I feel a lot of my fans would support my decision. If I join politics, my aim would be develop sports and sports infrastructure. There are many talented young men and women in villages who are withering away due to lack of encouragement. In politics I would always make efforts to help the youth,” she said.
This July, Dutee became the first Indian to win a gold medal in 100m category during the World University Games. Currently preparing for the World Championships on September 27 in Doha, Dutee announced earlier this year that she has been in a relationship with a woman from her village since 2017.
Chand said she had to make it public after her elder sister, Saraswati Chand, also a sportswoman, allegedly threatened to expose the relationship. If Chand joins politics, she would be the second Odia sportsperson to join politics. In 2012, former India hockey captain Dilip Tirkey was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha as one of the three BJD candidates.