Kangana Ranaut For BJP's Bihar Campaign? Devendra Fadnavis's Response

The BJP does not need any other star as it has Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's "biggest super-star", a top leader said today when asked whether actor Kangana Ranaut would campaign for the ruling party in Bihar.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the remarks while campaign in Bihar's Katihar for the state election just weeks away.

"We don't need any star as we have Narendra Modi who is the BJP's biggest star and the nation's superstar. Because of him we won in the country and we will win everywhere," said Mr Fadnavis, who has been tasked with overseeing the BJP campaign in Bihar.

The BJP in Maharashtra has been cautious about Kangana Ranaut, whose comments comparing Mumbai to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) became a huge controversy and sparked a war of words with the Shiv Sena. Last week, a demolition at the actor's Mumbai office by the Shiv Sena-controlled civic body was criticized by Mr Fadnavis, though he said he did not support Kangana Ranaut's comments on Mumbai.

"You don't go to demolish Dawood's home, but want to demolish the actor's house... Maharashtra government thinks the state is not fighting coronavirus but Kangana (Ranaut)," Mr Fadnavis had said.

Kangana Ranaut made the Mumbai-PoK comparison to demonstrate that she did not feel safe in the city after the Sena's reaction to her criticism of the handling of the Sushant Singh Rajput death case by the police and administration in Maharashtra.

For the BJP, the Sushant Singh Rajput case is a talking point in the Bihar campaign. The party has put out posters to highlight its role in getting "justice" for the Bihar-born actor, whose June 14 death is being investigated by the CBI. The CBI probe was recommended by BJP's Bihar ally, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and endorsed by the Supreme Court.