Actor Kangana Ranaut began her Lok Sabha election campaign in Mandi constituency on Friday with a roadshow, hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with "Jai Shri Ram" and asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party's main agenda is development.
A huge crowd turned up to see the Bollywood actor, a four-time National Award winner who was born in Mandi's Bhambla town.
Amidst the chants of "Jai Shri Ram", Ranaut was welcomed by the local BJP ranks by showering flowers on her and dancing to the beat of drums.
Kangana started the roadshow in her home town with "Modi Ji ko Jai Shri Ram". She hailed other BJP leaders with similar slogans.
"Development is BJP's main agenda and we will spare no effort to win the elections under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi," she said, adding that the "people of Mandi will tell what is in their hearts".
This was Ranaut's first public appearance in her constituency after getting the BJP ticket on March 24.
In October 2022, Ranaut had said she was open to contesting from Mandi if the BJP offered her a ticket.
Crediting PM Modi with a "change in the country" since 2014, Ranaut had said a feeling of pride and nationalism prevails among every Indian.
At present, the Mandi Lok Sabha seat is being represented by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Pratibha Singh, wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and mother of Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh. She won the 2021 Lok Sabha by-polls.
Earlier on Wednesday, Singh had announced that she would not contest the Lok Sabha elections as the situation was "not favourable" and that workers were disheartened. But after the announcement of Ranaut's name, she has left the decision to contest on the Congress High Command.
The election to four Lok Sabha seats of Shimla, Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra would be held along with by-elections in six assembly seats in the last phase on June 1.
While the BJP has announced its candidates for the four Lok sabha and six assembly seats, the Congress has not announced its candidates so far.
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