LS polls: Mandi set for high-profile contest as Kangana Ranaut aims to breach Virbhadra family's stronghold

Kangana Ranaut. Pic/PTI

The Mandi constituency is set to witness a high-profile contest as actor Kangana Ranaut, making her foray into politics will be looking forward to wresting the seat from the Congress party.

The Mandi constituency holds symbolic significance for the Congress, as it is considered a bastion of the Virbhadra family. The seat is currently held by Pratibha Devi Singh, the late leader's widow. She wrested the seat for the Congress in the bye-election that was held following the demise of then-BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

Ranaut was selected by the BJP in March to represent the party in the constituency.

Her arrival, though, was preceded by an odd incident in which Supriya Shrinate, the leader of the Congress, made 'objectionable' comments against her on social media.

The BJP criticised the comments, accusing the party of being "anti-women". Kangana Ranaut criticised Congress, questioning how people who lack respect for women could ever contribute to the nation's advancement.

Later, Shrinate clarified her statement, claiming that other persons have access to her social media accounts and that the alleged post was created by someone else and is currently under investigation.

A few weeks later, the Congress nominated Vikramaditya Singh, a minister from Himachal Pradesh and the son of Virbhadra Singh, as the party's candidate for the seat, adding celebrity to the contest.

Kangana Ranaut has been saying that she will work for the progress of women as well as for the infrastructural development in the constituency.

"Maximum work in the constituency revolves around highways and tunnels and after winning, I would be working the most with Nitin Gadkari," she told ANI.

On the other hand, Congress has been campaigning on the pitch that Kangana Ranaut doesn't have an idea about the issues on the ground.

Congress candidate, Vikramaditya Singh, hit out at the actor-turned-politician, asserting that she has no dedication or understanding of the issues of Himachal Pradesh.

"There are 14 lakh daughters in Himachal Pradesh. So many of them studied and became IAS, IFS, etc. Some of them are into sports as well, and this lady (Kangana Ranaut) is also one of them. But when it comes to Himachal, she has no connection to Himachal's issues, understanding, or history; she has no dedication or understanding about the issues," Singh told ANI.

"She also doesn't have time, does she have a roadmap? If you have a roadmap, to fulfil it, you will have to go to the ministry, meet officials, and observe the situation. But she says that she will go back to Mumbai after June 4 as her films are pending. This is not a 9-to-5 job," he added.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a public meeting in support of Kangana Ranaut in Mandi.

Attacking the Congress party for its "anti-women" mindset, PM Modi said that Ranaut today reflects the aspirations of the nation's daughters.

"The way Congress has insulted Kangana Ranaut is an insult to Mandi. It's an insult to Himachal and every daughter of Himachal," PM Modi said.

"Our daughters are flying drones in farms and fighter planes. Kangana Ranaut is not just BJP's candidate but she reflects the aspirations of our nation's daughters, showing they can succeed in any new field they enter. The Congress party's insults to Kangana are insults to Mandi, Himachal, and every daughter of the state," he added.

BJP leader and candidate Kangana Ranaut also expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to work under PM Modi's leadership.

Kangana stated, "When Bollywood considered me an outsider and mocked my English. Then, the world's biggest party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the world's biggest leader, PM Modi, chose me to serve the people of Mandi and work for their welfare. They chose a 'Pahadi Beti' for this work. This fills us with pride and eminence. I bow in respect before our PM Narendra Modi on behalf of all women and citizens of Himachal."

Mandi will be one of the most closely watched seats when the voting in the seven phases of the log elections ends on June 1. Kangana Ranaut, who has ventured into politics, would be hoping to cause an upset, while Congress would be trying to hang onto the bastion.

On June 1, there will be a single phase of voting in the four Lok Sabha constituencies in Himachal Pradesh: Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, and Shimla.

In addition to the Lok Sabha elections, by-polls will also be held in six Himachal Pradesh assembly seats on the same day. These seats fell vacant after the disqualification of rebel Congress MLAs.

The outcome of the by-election would have a significant impact on the future of the Sukhvinder Sukhu government in the state. The party's greater number of MLAs in the state did not prevent Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the Congress candidate for Rajya Sabha, from losing to Harsh Mahajan, the BJP candidate.

On June 4, the results of the assembly polls and the Lok Sabha elections will be declared.

(With Inputs from ANI)