Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut has joined the ruling right-wing party in India

The right-wing Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has declared Kangana Ranaut, an Indian actor and director, as its candidate for the Lok Sabha (or House of the People), representing her home seat in Himachal Pradesh. Ranaut has long been an outspoken supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ranaut, 37, gained notoriety for her portrayal of strong-willed women in outlandish movies, and for a while she had been making references to entering the field of political politics, according to sources in Indian media. Raunat, the actor-turned-politician, took to social media following her announcement as a running candidate to express her gratitude to the BJP leadership and her everlasting support. She said she was “honored and elated to officially join the party.”

The actor promised to provide her with “unconditional support” on Instagram, writing, “Today the national leadership of BJP has announced me as their Lok Sabha candidate from my birthplace Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency).” I respect the high command’s choice to run in the Lok Sabha elections. It is an honor and a joy for me to formally join the party. I’m excited to serve the public with integrity and as a deserving karyakarta. Regards.”

Ranaut has already expressed her unwavering support for Prime Minister Modi on record. She has previously said, “I think it’s important for young women to have the correct role models. I refer to the graph and the aspirations of a common guy, and anytime we have a prime minister who is a chaiwala, I consistently assert that our democracy has triumphed rather than him. He seems like the ideal role model to me.”

In addition to winning an award for best female debut, Ranaut made her film debut in the thriller Gangster in 2006. She then went on to carve out a niche for herself by accepting unusual or emotionally charged roles, such as that of a mutant superhero in Krrish 3 (2013) and an abandoned bride in the comedy-drama Queen (2014), for which she was nominated for best actress.

But the actor’s endeavors were a series of financial busts after 2015. Ranaut established her own production business in 2020 and gained notoriety for her divisive right-wing political views, which have been evident throughout the course of her work to date.