Kangana Ranaut Calls Politics 'Expensive Hobby', Says MLAs Get More Funds Than MPs

News18

4 days ago

Kangana Ranaut labels politics a 'very expensive hobby' and claims MPs have smaller budgets than MLAs, calling parliamentarians 'floundering' in their roles.
Kangana Ranaut has once again sparked strong reactions with her frank assessment of political life. After drawing criticism for her approach to her constituency in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, she made a surprising confession: politics is a 'very expensive hobby". The revelation came as she admitted she's not enjoying her role as a first-term MP.
The actor-turned-politician further ruffled feathers by saying she lacks an 'official Cabinet" to coordinate flood relief efforts in Mandi. In a recent interview with Times Now, Kangana went on to say that even panchayats and MLAs are allocated more funds than MPs, regretting that 'nobody respects parliamentarians."
'A lot of MPs end up feeling very frustrated, and we talk to each other (about such matters). It's not like others have some privileges; you just struggle with a lot. You (the MPs) are the connecting link between the state and the Centre. So, you are basically nowhere. We are like twilight."
She elaborated on the position's challenges and added, 'When you go to your state, you don't have a single place where you're grounded or connected, or where you're running a project. And when you go to the Centre, you're always waiting in queues outside ministers' offices. A lot of MPs also complain that even a panchayat or an MLA has a lot more budget than an MP. They don't respect us."
Kangana welcomed the formation of District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHAs), saying these bodies clarify MPs' roles. 'The job (of an MP) demands a lot of communication. DISHA is a huge step. If we did not have the privilege or power to ask the deputy commissioner or those who clearly work under the state government, it (the position of a parliamentarian) would be a redundant place to be in. It (DISHA) was, I think, created because of this frustration: 'What's our place and work? What are we supposed to do and where?' Also, MLAs are very territorial, and ministers are preoccupied with a lot of businesses. Meanwhile, you (MPs) are in the middle, floundering."
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