“Wish to follow in the footsteps of PM Modi!” ‘Anupamaa’ star Rupali Ganguly joins BJP

Joining the club of popular personalities such as Kangana Ranaut and Hema Malini who have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, ‘Anupamaa’ actor Rupali Ganguly just declared her entrance into the party and the world of politics.

Rupali, speculated to be India’s current highest-paid TV actress, announced her joining via a press conference held by the BJP in New Delhi on Wednesday. However, it is unclear whether the ‘Sarabhai vs Sarabhai’ actor intends to contest for a seat during the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Citing Narendra Modi as the inspiration behind this move, Rupali said the following in a PTI interview: "Who is not a fan of this (PM Modi’s) work? The progress that he has made India do by leaps and bounds is what attracts every Indian today to BJP and to one and only Narendra Modi."

"Seeing the 'Mahayagya' of development around me (under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi), I felt that I should also be a part of it," Rupali told the media.

Rupali has, in the past, expressed approval with PM Modi on many politically contested topics. Responding to a X post by the PM on reservation in 2021, the actress remarked: “Hope one day we do away completely with caste and religion-based reservations and only the economically weaker sections have access to reservation”.

Rupali’s surprise entrance into the BJP comes weeks after Kangana Ranaut announced her intention to contest the Lok Sabha elections and bagged a ticket from Himachal’s Mandi. The party has been rigorously reshuffling their candidates, adding a surprising amount of celebrity sheen to their roster.

Two phases of the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections have concluded, with five more to go. The third phase of the Assembly Elections is slated to take place on May 7, where 94 constituencies from 12 states will participate in the voting process.