NEW DELHI: Kangana Ranaut faces off against Vikramaditya Singh in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, while political battles heat up in Shimla, Hamirpur, and Kangra.
Kangana Ranaut, popularly known as Bollywood’s queen, who is a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is in fierce competition in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi constituency against Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, also called Rajaji. He belongs to the erstwhile Royal family of Rampur and is the son of six-time CM Late Virbhadra Singh while it is Kangana’s debut in politics.
The Mandi Lok Sabha seat has a history of voting for candidates belonging to “royal” bloodlines. It has witnessed the participation of prominent political families who have played a significant role in the region’s history. It holds significance due to its large voter base and its influence on the overall political landscape of the state.
The political battle in Mandi is not merely a competition between Kangana Ranaut and Vikramaditya Singh, but for Congress, it is a battle of pushing away the narrative of anti-incumbency in the state government and retaining Pratibha Singh’s hold in the party as Himachal is yet to recover from political instability that arose during the Rajya Sabha elections a few months ago, wherein Congress candidate Abhishek Manusinghvi lost due to cross-voting by Congress MLA’s.
For Bhartiya Janta Party leader Jairam Thakur, it is a showdown of his hold in the area as BJP won 13 assembly seats out of 17 while Congress could manage victory only on 4 seats in the last assembly elections, which BJP lost. Jairam Thakur, the current Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Assembly from Mandi, is looking to solidify his party’s stronghold with Kangana’s win.
For BJP the key to winning Mandi Lok Sabha lies in the lower Mandi regions like Banjar, Anni, Karsog, Sundernagar, Nachan, Seraj, Darang, Jogindernagar, Mandi, Balh, and Sarkaghat, which have a large population and are traditionally the party strongholds, while the upper Mandi regions such as Bharmour, Lahaul & Spiti, Manali, Kullu, Rampur, and Kinnaur Assembly segments are traditionally considered strongholds of Congress.
Speaking with The Sunday Guardian, Professor Jagmeet Bawa of Central University Himachal, asserted, “The upper Mandi region is with Congress, but the population in these areas is less and scattered, also they live on difficult terrains, while the lower Mandi region, which has a large population, has voted for the BJP, which could be seen in the assembly election results in 2023 when BJPwon 13 seats in Mandi while Congress, which came to power, could not perform in the area.”
He further added that Himachal Pradesh is a Hindu-dominated state, and the issue of the consecration of Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya is relevant here. This can be understood by the fact that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu attended the event in Ayodhya while the Congress party maintained its distance from it.
Vikramaditya on the other hand, enjoys the support not only from his mother Pratibha Singh’s faction of Congress but also from CM’s faction, as having him in the centre will bring stability to CM Sukhu in the long run. So both factions of Congress are supporting Vikramaditya.
Vikramaditya’s campaign is central to local issues in Mandi as he is also a PWD minister in the state government and talks of the advantages of Hindutva during his campaign. His priorities include making Mandi a smart city and the construction of tunnels to boost tourism in the area. While speaking with the media, Vikramaditya, confident about his victory asserted that I.N.D.I.A. bloc will form government at the centre. Banking on the Hindutva factor, he is vocal about how Virbhadra Singh’s government enacted anti-conversion laws in the state 30 years ago, and he attended the Pran Pratishta ceremony at Ayodhya while his party refrained from attending the event.
In contrast to Vikramaditya’s campaign, BJP leaders in the area are campaigning hard, with Kangana being assisted by Jairam Thakur in her campaigns. Kangana is targeting the Congress government for not fulfilling the promises it made during the assembly elections and targeting Vikramaditya’s candidature as an example of nepotism. Kangana asserted that Congress has no vision, while the PM Modi-led BJP has a vision for the nation as well as the state.
Situated on the picturesque Beas river valley, surrounded by the Dhauladhar range to the north and the Shivalik range to its south, Mandi holds both historical value and political importance. The Mandi Lok Sabha constituency is one of the four parliamentary constituencies in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which is going for polls on June 1.
SHIMLA
In contrast to Mandi, the political heat in Shimla is also rising, as Congress is aiming to regain its fortress, which it lost 15 years ago to the BJP. The BJP has fielded incumbent MP Suresh Kashyap, while the Congress has fielded Vinod Sultanpuri, an incumbent MLA from Kasauli.
Professor Jagmeet Bawa asserted, “The contest in Shimla is a litmus test for the CM Sukhu-led Congress government as many cabinet ministers in the state come from assembly segments that are part of Shimla constituency.”
The BJP is aiming to leverage emotional issues, such as the Hatti community’s struggle for tribal status, particularly in the Sirmaur district, where the community has a significant presence.
Under the BJP regime, the Hatti community was granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status after a prolonged struggle. The Union government issued a notification granting this status, which the Congress-led state government implemented in December last year. However, the Himachal Pradesh High Court issued an interim order in January, staying the notification. In response, Hatti community members have been holding demonstrations against the state government for not implementing the Constitution (ST) Order (Second Amendment) Act, 2023, which officially recognised the community as a Scheduled Tribe. The Hatti community in Sirmaur are a significant demographic in three of the four assembly segments.
On the other hand, Congress is highly dependent on apple farmers, who not only grow apples but also bear fruit of power for the party who have been affected by the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax. This time they are struggling for MSP prices for their produce. Also, all 13 MLAs from Congress are on the ground for their candidate in Sultanpuri, which has further made a tough fight for the BJP candidate.
HAMIRPUR
Hamirpur has been a BJP bastion as it was previously represented by Prem Kumar Dhumal, while Anurag Thakur, Union Minister, has represented it four times and is eyeing a fifth-time win too. Thakur, in his political rallies, is saying the BJP will hit four and sixes in Himachal, referring to the victory in four Lok Sabha constituencies while a win in the by-elections in the six assembly segments in the state. The BJP is highlighting the drug park development projects in Una and AIIMS Bilaspur in their campaigns. Anurag Thakur and JP Nadda also have roots here.
Hamirpur has now become a battle of prestige for both parties, as incumbent CM and deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri have their roots in this constituency. The Congress candidate Satpal Raizada, a former MLA from Una, campaigned for the Agnipath scheme saying it will serve Himachal as it is home to many soldiers, both serving and retired from the armed forces. It is also claiming the expansion of the rail network in Himachal as it is limited to the Una district at present.
KANGRA
The Congress Party has nominated former Union Minister Anand Sharma to contest the Kangra constituency in Himachal Pradesh. This pits him against the BJP’s, Dr. Rajeev Bhardwaj. Both candidates share a similar background, belong to the Brahmin community, and are making their debut in Lok Sabha elections.
Anand Sharma’s political journey includes multiple terms in the Rajya Sabha, starting in April 1984, and several stints as a Union Minister. His candidacy is bolstered by his close ties with Sukhu and the support of several local MLAs. Whereas, Dr. Rajeev Bhardwaj is known for his proximity to former CM Shanta Kumar and is expected to leverage his local influence in his first electoral battle.
Kangra is critical for Congress as it seeks to reclaim the seat which has predominantly been a BJP stronghold. The BJP has secured this seat in multiple past elections, with Congress last winning it in 2004.
With approximately 20 per cent of the constituency’s electorate being Brahmin, both parties have strategically fielded candidates from the community, highlighting its significant influence in the region.