Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh is going to witness a keen electoral battle between Bollywood actress and BJP nominee Kangana Ranaut and Congress candidate, Himachal Public Works Department minister, Vikramaditya Singh.
The constituency has become a hot seat in Himachal Pradesh because of Kangana’s entry and the high-voltage campaign therein.
Kangana has strategically used all the tactics, right from a glamorous showcase of traditional Pahari dresses, and conversation in the Pahari language to mingle with locals, to her typical blunt remarks against the opponent during her poll campaign over the last month in Mandi Parliamentary constituency.
Trying hard to connect politically in her maiden poll battle, the actress banks much on the ‘Modi card’ for her poll prospects and has a solid backing of party cadres, led by former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition from Mandi, Jai Ram Thakur in the poll arena.
Thakur has a considerable hold in Mandi district as nine out of ten Assembly segments were won by BJP in the 2022 Assembly polls, even though the party could not come back to power in Himachal Pradesh. However, the stance of former MP and senior BJP leader, Maheshwar Singh from Kullu still worries BJP ranks.
Mandi is the toughest of all four Parliamentary constituencies in Himachal Pradesh as it involves all three tribal segments of Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Bharmour along with Kullu district, Rampur Assembly segment of Shimla and nine Assembly constituencies of Mandi district.
The lone Assembly segment in Mandi district, Dharampur, where Congress won in the 2022 Assembly polls, forms part of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat.
People in Mandi believe that Kangana is a formidable candidate because of her popularity and proximity to central BJP leadership. However, her personalised comments against Congress opponent, Vikramaditya Singh off and on, are not winning much support even in the BJP circles.
Singh, who is a two-time MLA in a row from Shimla (rural) and is the son of former six-time CM, late Virbhadra Singh and Pradesh Congress Committee President, Pratibha Singh (sitting MP from Mandi), is playing his cards cautiously, and draws strength from the popularity of Virbhadra Singh, who has represented Mandi Parliamentary constituency in the past. His mother, Pratibha Singh too is a sitting MP from Mandi and has represented it thrice.
More so, Singh is a soft communicator and has been targeting the BJP and his opponent based on local issues. He addressed Kangana as his ‘badi behan’ (elder sister) in the first address when he got the ticket and Kangana referred to him as 'Raja beta' and 'Chotta Pappu'. He is campaigning on the state government’s achievements in 15 months, the funding he brought from the Centre for Road Network, and the help that poured in for the Mandi Parliamentary folks during the worst natural calamity last year, when he alleged, Kangana did not even show up.
Singh has subtly tried to hijack the BJP’s agenda by often beginning his messages with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and making it public that he made it to the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in January 2024 from Himachal Pradesh on invitation.
Not surprisingly, however, Pratibha Singh’s remark about Kangana, wherein she said people come to public rallies only to see this actress, referring to her as 'cheez' (thing) did spoil things for him.
Yet Vikramaditya’s good rapport, the backing of old loyalists of Virbhadra Singh, and the encouraging response that came from Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s poll rallies in Mandi Parliamentary constituency for him pumped much energy in the ruling party on this Lok Sabha seat.
“When Kangana Ranaut was given a BJP ticket from Mandi, the Congress party was so fearful that it had to field one of its ministers in Himachal against her. Still, Kangana will win with a huge margin as she is working hard in the field,” said BJP leader, Sanjay Sharma.
Congress leader Prem Kaushal counters it by saying, “Kangana has made a name in Bollywood. But she is not made for politics. Vikramaditya Singh comes from a political family and knows the ground well.”
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