Man whose feet Modi touched: Ravinder Singh Negi, the Patparganj candidate who has been in the news
At a rally attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ghonda on Wednesday, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva called all party candidates to the stage. As they walked up to Modi, many bowed and touched his feet. Among them, Ravinder Singh Negi, the party candidate from Patparganj, stood out – after he touched the PM’s feet, Modi touched his feet back, thrice.
Soon after, Vishwas Nagar candidate Om Prakash Sharma also attempted to touch Modi’s feet but was also stopped midway. In the past too, Modi had reciprocated and touched the feet of those who touched his at events.
Negi (45), currently an MCD councillor from Vinod Nagar, which comes under the Patparganj Assembly constituency, had been in the news in the recent past.
Recently, a series of videos that Negi had been circulating on his own social media handles had led to a controversy. In one such video, he is seen interacting with Altamash Tomar, who runs Tomar Dairy store at West Vinod Nagar.
Negi is seen telling Tomar: “This (signboard) has just Tomar written on it. Whatever your real name is, the Muslim name, get that written on the board. Get it done by tomorrow.” He then threatens to seal the shop if the changes aren’t made.
In many such videos that Negi used to previously upload on his social media, he is seen telling Hindu street vendors to put up saffron flags on vending carts. He is also seen visiting butcher shops before festivals, demanding that they be closed to respect the religious sentiments of Hindus.
Lallan Prasad, who sells tea outside Negi’s core area in East Vinod Nagar, says, “I have heard that he troubles street vendors, but haven’t experienced it personally. He rarely visits this area.”
Although, most shopkeepers in Negi’s jurisdiction refrained from commenting on the videos, Mohammad Raja, a grocery store owner near Negi’s residence, says: “He does interfere sometimes, but it’s not excessive. He gets involved if he finds shops with unchanged boards… people who rent shops and don’t change the (signboard) after renting it have faced issues.”
Negi’s political journey began in 2020, when he made an impressive debut by giving then deputy Chief Minister and AAP Patparganj candidate Manish Sisodia a tough fight, losing by a margin of just 2%. In the 2022 MCD polls, he defeated the AAP candidate by 2,311 votes.
Due to his grassroots approach, Negi’s rise within the BJP has been rapid. Previously serving as Zila Mahamantri of the Delhi unit, he gained prominence after 2020 polls. A party insider says, “He wasn’t well-known earlier, but has had a quick ascent… In 2020, (after giving Sisodia a tough fight) he suddenly appeared to become active and important…”
Another party source attributed Negi’s rise to his strong connections within the BJP leadership and his grassroots influence.
In Vinod Nagar, Negi is a household name, with residents familiar with his home, old office, and election offices. However, his recognition in high-rise residential societies is limited.
To bridge this gap, his campaign team has been visiting societies to arrange direct engagements. At these gatherings, he introduces himself with, “I am Ravi Negi, a soldier of Modiji and the BJP candidate. Please vote for us if you want the Eighth Pay Commission and to benefit from Union government schemes.”
Campaigning in high-rises, Negi acknowledges his past electoral shortcomings. “It’s just the votes from societies that I was unable to gather.”
Negi identifies water quality and drainage as Patparganj’s most pressing issues. He faces competition from AAP’s Awadh Ojha, a civil services coach who has replaced Sisodia, and Congress’s Anil Kumar Chaudhary.
