Congress has declined to give Supriya Shrinate a ticket from the Maharajganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh, where she lost in the 2019 general elections. This decision came amid controversy over her offensive social media post against actress Kangana Ranaut.
On March 27th, the party announced its eighth list of 14 candidates for the upcoming polls. Virendra Chaudhary has been named as the replacement for Supriya Shrinate in Maharajganj. Notably, Maharajganj is near Rae Bareilly, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s constituency, which she is not contesting this time.
Following Kangana Ranaut’s announcement as a candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh, Congress leaders and party supporters criticized her with sexist and derogatory remarks on March 25th. Supriya Shrinate, the Congress National Spokesperson, posted on Instagram, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi me koi batayega? (Will someone tell me what the rating system in Mandi is),” alongside a photo of Kangana Ranaut. The post was later deleted.
After facing intense criticism for her comment, Supriya Shrinate released a clarification, stating that the post was made by “someone who had access to her account” and promising to hold that individual accountable. Congressmen like Srinivas BV and Pawan Khera also supported her.
Supriya Shrinate, the daughter of former Maharajganj MP late Harsh Vardhan, was chosen by the Congress as its Lok Sabha candidate in 2019 from the area. She replaced Tanushree Tripathi, the daughter of convicted politician Amarmani Tripathi. Initially, both the Congress and the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia had announced Tanushree Tripathi as their candidate.
Prior to entering politics, Supriya Shrinate worked as an Executive Editor with ET. She resigned from her position to join active politics and became a member of the Indian National Congress in 2019. In a social media post, she expressed gratitude to the Times Group for her journalism career and thanked the Indian National Congress for trusting her with the Maharajganj constituency.
In conclusion, Supriya Shrinate’s journey from journalism to politics has been eventful, marked by controversies and political dynamics. Her recent comments and the subsequent party decision regarding her candidature highlight the complexities of Indian politics and the challenges faced by public figures in managing their public image.