Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department Minister and two-time MLA, Vikramaditya Singh is set to be the Congress nominee from Mandi Parliamentary constituency, where BJP has fielded Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut.
The formal announcement of his name may be done by this All India Congress Committee this evening.
Only one name, Vikramaditya Singh was being considered from Mandi by the Congress high command, according to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee President, Pratibha Singh, who is a sitting MP from Mandi, said the party wanted to field a youngster from Mandi.
Vikramaditya Singh, 34, is the son of former six-time CM, late Virbhadra Singh and HPCC President, Pratibha Singh.
Both Virbhadra and Pratibha Singh have represented the Mandi Parliamentary constituency in the past. Pratibha Singh had won from Mandi in a by-poll in 2021 for the third time.
With the Congress party giving a ticket to Vikramaditya Singh, the contest Mandi is likely to turn interesting. If Kangana Ranaut has a name in Bollywood, Vikramaditya comes from a political family which has dominated Himachal Pradesh politics for decades.
Virbhadra's image apart, Vikramaditya enjoys a good rapport among the electorate in Himachal Pradesh and is known as a soft-spoken upcoming politician.
He had already started electioneering in Mandi over the last few days, giving soft replies to Kangana's sarcastic attacks.
Congress sources said in case Vikramaditya wins, his mother, Pratibha Singh may contest from his Assembly segments in Shimla (rural) and enter the state electoral politics.
The Congress high command may declare candidates for other three Loksabha constituencies also along with Mandi today evening.
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