QWrap: Why BJP Lost Despite Amit Shah’s ‘Chanakya-Neeti’ & More

From cracking why BJP lost despite Amit Shah’s ‘Chanakya-Neeti’ to SRK’s ‘Zero’ - here are all the top stories.

Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

Photo: Reuters

1. How Did BJP Lose Elections Despite Amit Shah’s ‘Chanakya-Neeti’?

Amit Shah is Chanakya, he is an election machine. He can make or break a government. News anchors, politics experts and BJP leaders have said this every time the BJP won an election. But after the party lost in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh, people are asking Janab, aise kaise? (How is it possible?)

You (Amit Shah) helped BJP expand its reign in 14 states within a period of 4 years and sidelined the country's biggest party (Congress). Naturally, your defeat will also be the talk of the town.

Amit Shah, who talked about ruling India for the next 50 years, was not able to make the 'kamal' bloom in five states in the recent Assembly elections.

You might put forth the argument that losing one election cannot ascertain that Amit Shah's magic has failed. Saying this wouldn't be right. Or if you debate that incumbency was a major setback for the BJP in these states, Rajasthan has a record of changing  the government every five years, etc.

Let's walk you through the data and facts that will reveal when and where the BJP's 'election-winning machinery malfunctioned.

(Catch the full story here)

2. I Love Being a Star: Shah Rukh on ‘Zero’, Stardom and Social Media

Ahead of the release of the much anticipated Zero, The Quint caught up with Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif who candidly spoke about the difficulties they encountered in making the film, dealing with the pressures of stardom and the wrath of social media. Shah Rukh plays Bauua Singh in the film, a vertically challenged man.

When asked about the preparation that went into the character, he said, “The aim of the film is to celebrate equality so I wasn’t really viewing him as someone different. In terms of the VFX there were a lot of aspects that had to be taken care of and we modelled it on this guy called Ashish, so that we would have an idea about the height difference between the characters.”

But was the massive employment of VFX around them a deterrent to the acting process?

(Watch the full video here)

3. YouTuber Danish Zehen of ‘MTV Ace of Space’ Fame Dies in Car Crash

YouTube blogger Danish Zehen, who recently participated in Vikas Gupta's Ace of Space, passed away in a car accident on 20 December.

Zehen had about 915k followers on his Instagram page. Vikas Gupta and other contestants from Ace of Space took to social media to mourn the loss. Danish was reportedly returning to Mumbai after a wedding when his car crashed near Vashi.

Vikas Gupta took to Instagram and wrote, “Danish tu humesha Zehen main Rahega, how do I tell the other houseguests that you aren't coming back. You are the coloured hair king of AceOfSpace #Coolestbadboi You looked like a baby as I saw you lying down, thinking you could wake up anytime. You have long gone but you shall remain always in my #Zehen Thank you for teaching me this word ??"

The lifestyle blogger was reportedly in a Honda City when the accident occurred.

Ace of Space contestants Divya Agarwal, Varun Sood and others mourn the loss.

(Read the full story here)

4. #MyReport I This ‘Egotistic’ Behaviour of Kohli is Unacceptable

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah called Virat Kohli “world’s worst behaved player” and The Quint’s citizen journalists seem to agree with him. From the reactions received, the reporters were of the opinion that as the Indian captain, Virat Kohli must maintain his cool.

A Twitter poll that The Quint carried out also seemed to convey the same sentiment.

(Watch the full video here)

5. Are HC Diktats on Civic Issues Doing Bengaluru Any Good?

First Dusshera, then Diwali and now Christmas. These aren’t just festivals, but also the days coincide with a series of deadlines set by the Karnataka High Court for solving some of Bengaluru’s civic woes.

From the mismanagement of waste that leads to piles of accumulated garbage or black spots, to Bengaluru’s infamous pothole problem, the court has ordered authorities on all civic matters in the last few months. Berating civic agency officials and setting deadline after deadline are the signs of an active high court. But to what use?

Weeks after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had been told to rid the road of all the craters, a 22-year-old motorist lost his life while trying to avoid a pothole on 10 December near Kammanahalli.

The latest deadline? 25 December.

While the BBMP continues to claim that there are only 35 potholes left to be filled in the city, Monday’s mishap paints a different picture.

Is there any sense in delivering such judgments? Or should the court adopt a more long-term and well-thought out plan of action.

(Watch the full video here)