In 1997, Vinod Khanna ventured out and entered mainstream politics by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In the Lok Sabha polls the next year, he won from Gurdaspur constituency in Punjab. Once again, in 1999, he won from the same constituency. After three years, in 2002, Khanna was given the portfolio of the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism. He went onto become the Minister of state for External Affairs six months later. In 2004, Khanna once again won from Gurdaspur constituency.
