Urmila Matondkar to contest polls

Bollywood actor Urmila Matondkar is likely to join the Congress and contest the polls from Mumbai.

An official confirmation from the All India Congress Committee is awaited.

However, family members of Urmila have confirmed the development.

"Talks are in advanced stages, she would be contesting the polls purely on the basis of principles and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel," a family friend of the Matondkar family told DH on Monday.

The 45-year-old actor would be fielded from Mumbai North seat.

The Rangeela star would be pitted against BJP's sitting MP Gopal Shetty.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Shetty defeated journalist-turned-politician Sanjay Nirupam, who is now the president of Mumbai Congress.

Nirupam would shift to Mumbai North-West and take on Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar.

Last time, the late Congress leader Gurudas Kamat, who was a minister in the Dr Manmohan Singh government, contested the elections.

For Mumbai North, celebrities contestants are not new.

In 2004, actor Govinda had defeated BJP stalwart Ram Naik, who is currently the governor of Uttar Pradesh.