Known to be controversy’s favourite child, actor Kangana Ranaut has yet again sparked a row. During an interview with Times Now, actor Kangana Ranaut claimed that she was forced to vote for the Shiv Sena in the elections considering they were in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Ranaut told Times Now’s Political editor Navika Kumar that she had to vote for the Shiv Sena over the BJP since these two parties were in a coalition and her constituency had been allotted to the Shiv Sena.
I voted for Sena though I support BJP. But I was ‘forced’ to vote due to their alliance: Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam), Actor tells Navika Kumar on #FranklySpeakingWithKangana. pic.twitter.com/XlFh0ngmxI
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 16, 2020
‘I am telling you from my experience. When I went to vote in Bandra, and when I was standing in front of the voting machine, because I am such a BJP supporter, I was asking where the button for BJP is? And they were like ‘press Shiv Sena’. I said ‘why should I press Shiv Sena? if I want to vote for BJP?’ I don’t understand politics. I am naive. I don’t know why these groupisms happen but I was forced to put my hand on the Shiv Sena button because there was no option of BJP. Their alliance for those areas was only and only Shiv Sena. So I voted for them,’ the actor can be heard saying.
Following the interview, India Today’s Deputy Editor, Kamlesh Sutar, debunked the claims made by Kangana on Twitter. Sutar wrote that Ranaut’s Assembly constituency is Bandra West (Vandre West). In 2019 and 2014, it had a BJP candidate.
I see some factual error here. @KanganaTeam says she ws forcd to vote for Shivsena. As per @CEO_Maharashtra data, @KanganaTeam is a voter of Bandra west seat. Ashish Shelar of BJP was Sena-BJP candidate here in 2019. In Loksabha agn Poonam Mahajan of the BJP fought n won. https://t.co/to48IJgUtD pic.twitter.com/56OrytAWyd
— Kamlesh Sutar (@kamleshsutar) September 16, 2020
The actor’s Twitter handle had replied to the editor’s tweet saying that she was referring to the Lok Sabha elections and not the Assembly elections and also threatened him with legal consequences. Her tweets were later deleted.
With due respect,even if you are talking about Loksabha elections, you voted in Khar (BPM School as you mentioned in your earlier tweet) it is still part of Mumbai North Central constituency from where @poonam_mahajan of the BJP -Shivsena alliance was the candidate.
— Kamlesh Sutar (@kamleshsutar) September 17, 2020
Further, Mumbai Press Club condemned Ranaut’s threat.
The Mumbai Press Club takes serious cognisance and condemns the threat by @kanganateam against journalist/Club member @kamleshsutar. Celebrities, Politicians & their workers, pls do not intimidate journalists. @MumbaiPressClub strongly backs the fraternity. pic.twitter.com/T6Xf1kPWED
— Mumbai Press Club (@mumbaipressclub) September 18, 2020
Claim:
Kangana Ranaut was forced to vote for Shiv Sena since BJP could not field its candidate from her constituency. The seat was allotted to alliance partner Shiv Sena.
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
Kangana Ranaut’s voter information is available on the Election Commission’s website. Here, it was found that her Parliamentary constituency is Mumbai North-Central and her Assembly Constituency is Vandre West.
Lok Sabha Elections
In this election, Poonam Mahajan (BJP), had won the polls from Ranaut’s constituency where BJP and Shiv Sena were in an alliance. Ranaut had cast her vote at a polling booth in Khar.
#Mumbai: Actor Kangana Ranaut after casting her vote at a polling booth in Khar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/L4nXhMbyvj
— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019
#VotingRound4 | Poonam Mahajan, BJP MP Candidate from Mumbai North Central, cast her vote in #Phase4 in Worli, Mumbai.#ElectionsWithMC Updates: https://t.co/DbWDel6ja2 | #Elections2019 pic.twitter.com/w8S3MXh3YZ
— moneycontrol (@moneycontrolcom) April 29, 2019
Khar is in Mumbai Suburban district which falls under the Vandre (Bandra) West assembly constituency under Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency.
Vidhan Sabha elections
Amar Ujala had reported that the actor was not in Mumbai when the assembly elections were conducted in October 2019. However, even if she had cast her vote, it would have been for a BJP candidate.
That year, reportedly, BJP’s Ashish Shelar was the BJP-Shiv Sena candidate from Bandra West assembly constituency. He had won the polls in that election.
Therefore, in both the elections, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha, the candidates from the actor’s constituency were fielded by BJP with BJP-Shiv Sena contesting the elections as an alliance.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
Also Read: Fact Check: Did Amul Mock Urmila Matondkar For Her Comments On Kangana Ranaut?
