battle-of-prestige-in-mandi

While Bollywood celebrity and BJP nominee for Mandi Parliamentary seat Kangana Ranaut is trying hard to give a local touch to her presence in the political battlefield, PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh continues with soft worded attack against her.

 

Even as high profile Union Minister, Anurag Thakur, who is four time MP in a row, is seeking re-election from Hamirpur this time, it is the Mandi Parliamentary constituency which has become a hot seat with a lot of prestige attached to it for Congress as well as BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.

 

Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee Chief (HPCC) Chief, Pratibha Singh is the sitting MP from Mandi, having won a by-election from this seat in 2021. She has won from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat thrice.

 

While it is still unclear as to who is going to be the party nominee for Congress this time, the choice is restricted to Pratibha Singh and her son PWD minister, Vikramaditya Singh, the BJP has fielded celebrity actress Kangana Ranaut in Mandi for the first time.

 

What makes the contest important in this constituency is that it would be a reality test of the popularity of Bollywood celebrity in the political battlefield versus the stature of the all-time political family of late Virbhadra Singh, six-time former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and former MP and Union minister from Mandi.

 

Kangana, who hails from the Mandi district and has already started her campaign a few days ago, projecting herself as an all-time local resident, through her effort to gel with people by speaking mandyali or eating community lunch (dham) in the villages as a part of her canvassing. 

 

Though it is a separate matter that her style and the broken mandyali apparently look shallow and whatever strength she is so far drawing, it is from her proximity to the Prime Minister—which has made all state leaders make a bee line for her campaign.

 

Kangna’s name had come as BJP candidate in 2021 also, but she had conveniently said ‘No’ at that time, reportedly holding that she would better go to a complex state, which requires more work.

 

Since the day the BJP fielded her in Mandi this time, the social media campaign for and against her has picked up fast. Some people are bitter over her remarks against Pratibha Singh and others are favouring her for her charisma in movies.

 

Interestingly, earlier it was being said that Pratibha Singh could be the candidate from Mandi, but now the name of PWD minister, Vikramaditya Singh is doing the rounds for Lok Sabha ticket from this seat. 

 

(If it happens and he actually replaces Pratibha Singh on the Mandi Parliamentary seat, the latter may contest the Assembly poll from the Shimla (rural) constituency held by son, said Congress sources). Vikramaditya is two time MLA from Shimla (rural).

 

Party sources said Vikramaditya Singh’s candidature in Mandi has to do much with his father’s (Virbhadra Singh) popularity and his own pleasant and soft-spoken approach to politics. 

 

His soft-worded attack on Kangana Ranaut has shut many mouths already and put Kangna on the defensive. 

 

“There is no doubt that Kangna is a good actor, but we should also not forget that she is a queen of controversies. If she thinks that the things she said from time to time will not be raised in the elections, then ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to her,” Singh said in a chat with media recently.

 

Singh is also trying to strike an emotional chord with the people of Mandi, mentioning that his father Virbhadra Singh and mother Pratibha Singh have represented the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

 

Mandi Lok Sabha constituency comprises Mandi district (barring Dharampur, which is now in Hamirpur constituency), Kullu district, tribal districts of Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur, tribal area of Bharmour in Chamba district and Rampur Assembly segment of Shimla district. 

 

Kangna comes from Bhambla village in Sarkaghat area in Mandi, while Vikramaditya Singh is from Rampur Bushahr.

 

Kangna may have to face opposition from insiders like senior BJP leader, Maheshwar Singh ( who was in the race for ticket) and Kargil hero Brig (retd) Khushal Thakur ( party nominee in the last by-poll, who lost by 8000 votes to Pratibha Singh in BJP regime in state).

 

And in Congress, the Virbhadra faction will have to work very hard to save the grace in case anyone from his family gets the ticket. That’s also because Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu so far has not given his mind on the Lok Sabha elections, and his entire focus is to increase the numbers in the Assembly to save the government by winning as many of the 6 Assembly by-polls, facilitating by disqualification of Congress rebels.

 

There are four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh- Mandi, Kangra, Shimla (reserved) and Hamirpur. BJP has already declared candidates for all four Lok Sabha seats, Congress is yet to take the final call.