This Week in Explainers: How Kangana Ranaut got the BJP role

This week, two women took centre stage in the Indian political arena – Kangana Ranaut and Sunita Kejriwal. The actor got a BJP ticket from Himachal’s Mandi and soon saw herself battling sexism. (The usual story for a woman politician). And the wife of the Delhi chief minister is stepping out of his shadow. They are both new entrants into the country’s political landscape and we’ll have to wait and watch how they fair.

In the cold desert of Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuk called off his hunger strike. He was joined by thousands of Ladakhis and their fight is far from over.

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In Uttar Pradesh, gangster-turned-political Mukhtar Asari died on Thursday. Authorities say it was a cardiac arrest; his family alleges poisoning. The state was put on high alert after the death. But why was Ansari so popular?

We answer all this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers.

1. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut finally got the role she had been auditioning for – a BJP ticket from Mandi. Her foray into politics came as no surprise. She speaks the language of the party already, supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Ram mandir. Remember that video of an ecstatic Ranaut on the temple inauguration day? In this piece, we look at how she laid the groundwork for her new job.

2. The other new entrant in the political field is Mrs Kejriwal. The Delhi chief minister’s wife has maintained a low profile over the last decade, which saw the Aam Aadmi Party rise. But now after the arrest of Arvind Kejriwal, she has come into her own.

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The Indian Revenue Service (IRS) has addressed the public in videos shared by the party. She has started a WhatsApp campaign titled “Kejriwal Ko Aashirwad”, urging supporters to send wishes to the incarcerated AAP chief.

Much like her husband, she sends out these messages, seated in a chair flanked by the wall portraits of Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar. Is the 58-year-old ready to take on a bigger role? Will she lead the party if her husband remains in jail? We explain.

3. Earlier in the week, Sonam Wangchuk called off his fast in Ladakh. For 21 days, the engineer-turned-reformer was protesting in subzero temperatures. He was joined by thousands of supporters. Their protest is likely to intensify.

Wangchuk has now announced a “border march”. But what are his demands? From the fragile ecology of the region to statehood, there’s a lot at stake in Ladakh.

4. In Uttar Pradesh, gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died on Thursday. It was cardiac arrest, say hospital authorities. However, his family has alleged foul pay. They say he was slowly poisoned.

Ansari was in jail before he was rushed to the hospital. He was convicted for the murder of a BJP MLA and had 65 cases against him. His tryst with the criminal world started when he was 15. In this piece, we explain how a freedom fighter’s grandson became one of the most notorious figures in Uttar Pradesh.

5. The prestigious Ashoka University grabbed headlines this week. But for no educational feat.

A video of students at Haryana’s institute purportedly raising casteist slogans like “Brahmin-Baniyawaad Murdabad” has sparked a row. But this is not an isolated case. Caste discrimination continues to plague India’s higher education system. How prevalent is it?

This is very very shocking if true why is there so much caste hatred in @AshokaUniv ? Will @sbikh Pl take action to stop such hatred, if true? @dpradhanbjp Govt should look into why such hatred prevails? How can universities keep quiet? https://t.co/7hEGtcNfvv

— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) March 27, 2024

6. Our last story is about food blogger Natasha Diddee. She died in Pune on 24 March. Her Instagram handle “the gutless foodie” reflected her life without a stomach, which she lost to stress.

The cause of her death is unknown, but Diddee stated in earlier interviews that after her stomach removal, she experienced nausea, dizziness, and fatigue after eating. These signs and symptoms are related to a condition called ‘Dumping Syndrome’. We tell you all about it in our explainer.

That’s all from us. The news is grim but spring is here. We just celebrated Holi on Monday and Easter will ensure this Sunday is cheery.

Have a good weekend. And if you like the way we explain this news, come back to our page for more.