Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has secured a seat in the Indian parliament, marking a notable presence of the film industry in the country’s legislative body. Ranaut contested as a candidate for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mandi, her home state of Himachal Pradesh. Despite a slim victory margin of less than 75,000 votes, she expressed gratitude to the people of Mandi for their support and commended PM Modi’s governance.
Following the BJP’s ascent to power in 2014, Ranaut, known for her role in the acclaimed film “Queen” (2013), aligned closely with the party, advocating its Hindu nationalist agenda. However, she has faced criticism for echoing the ruling party’s anti-Muslim rhetoric.
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In her victory speech, Ranaut thanked the residents of Mandi and attributed her win to their faith in PM Modi and the BJP, framing it as a triumph for traditional values.
Her electoral victory came against prominent political figure Vikramaditya Singh of the opposition Congress party, whose father, Virbhadra Singh, served as Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister for six terms.
Ranaut’s involvement in a controversy arose in April 2020 when she was mentioned in a police report for exacerbating communal tensions by labeling Muslims as “terrorists” in a video supporting her sister, Rangoli Chandel. Chandel, who faced a ban from Twitter and Facebook for promoting violence against the minority community, was also implicated in the incident.
