New Delhi: In the 18th Lok Sabha elections of the country, the ‘Mandi’ seat of Himachal Pradesh has not only attracted the attention of the nation but has also been buzzing with its spectacular entry into Bollywood politics. Mandi, which used to be the market of kings, is seeing a new bloom of stage politics.
By fielding the Rajput Bollywood actress Ranaut in this excellent and already highly favourable seat, the BJP has courted several controversies. It was also a convenient seat for the BJP because out of the 10 assembly constituencies in Mandi district, 9 were already in the BJP’s kitty, and the BJP’s vote margin in the remaining assembly constituencies of the Mandi parliamentary seat was very low in 2022. However, by fielding Kangana Ranaut from this seat, the BJP suddenly found itself embroiled in controversies at the national level, especially since Kangana already had many well-wishers from Bollywood. The direct impact of the “Jagati Samaj” of Himachal Pradesh on this actress and candidate who is constantly trolled on social media is evident. It is another matter that Kangana’s social media guardian is also putting up a tough fight.
However, the Congress has not yet clarified its cards regarding its probable candidate. As soon as the candidate is announced, the star attraction will take on a new form.
The politics of the Mandi seat in Himachal Pradesh has been controversial as well as interesting because those contesting from here have never been from an ordinary background. Maheshwar Singh from the royal family won three times, Virbhadra Singh twice, his wife Pratibha Singh twice, former Union Minister Pandit Sukh Ram three times.
Virbhadra belonged to the Bushehar princely state, Maheshwar to Kullu, and Sukh Ram hailed from Mandi district. Moreover, even Jairam Thakur was defeated from here. However, after becoming the Chief Minister, he gained such a strong foothold in Mandi that Ram Swaroop, associated with the RSS, won handsomely in 2019. But when he committed suicide in Delhi, Pratibha Singh won again with 49.23 percent of the votes, even though the BJP’s Jairam government was in power in the state at that time.
Overall, the Mandi seat elections take on a new direction and dimension every time. The BJP has placed its bet on celebrity Kangana. However, even before Kangana’s candidature was announced, Pratibha Singh had declared that she would not contest. It was believed that Pratibha did not want to come forward due to the Modi wave. That’s why she also talked about the neglect of workers in her own government in Mandi. Amid this, as soon as Kangana’s candidature was announced from Delhi, accompanied by a blitzkrieg of social media commentary, the Mandi seat became super hot. While the party workers in Mandi were thrilled to see the superstar in person, the senior party leaders in Mandi were overshadowed by Kangana’s presence. Although the outspoken Kangana refuted the allegations in Mandeali, the local voters who speak Pangi, Lahul, Rampur, Chhatri, Saraj, and Mandi dialects were perplexed by her mixed Bilaspuri and Sarkaghati dialect. After all, Kangana’s next challenge would be to speak these local dialects as well.
In fact, the Mandi parliamentary constituency has 17 assembly segments, including four from Kullu district and one each from Chamba, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, and Shimla districts. Mandi has 9 seats, which means that the Mandi parliamentary area covers 6 districts, and all 6 districts have different dialects.
In these 17 assembly constituencies, there is a close contest between the two parties. However, the BJP gets a substantial vote share from Jairam’s seat in Saraj, Anil Sharma’s seat in Mandi, Janak Raj’s seat in Bharmour, and Rakesh Jamwal’s seat in Sundarnagar. Kangana’s weight also increases due to these BJP seats in Mandi district.
But the challenges are not few either. As the campaign picks up pace, the Congress will launch a full-fledged attack. Whether it’s Kangana’s pictures, her outspoken statements, or issues related to her diet and lifestyle that go against the ideology of the Sangh and the party, they will create hurdles for her.
The influence and resentment of the large Dev community led by BJP’s senior leader and former MP Maheshwar Singh from Kullu will not make Kangana’s path as smooth as it could have been for an ordinary worker like Ram Swaroop. If the Virbhadra family jumps into the fray, then the unity of the royal family and the Devlu community will also show its impact in the region.
Due to Kangana’s glamour, the charm of any big local leader is fading. As a result, the importance of big leaders standing on the stage has diminished. This issue could also impact the elections. However, as a bold actress, Kangana is also the favorite of the youth. From this perspective, even if Ranaut does not get the workers’ votes, the fan votes might be enough.
It is being said that the Congress is still gauging the mood. It will announce the candidate after a little delay. Stalwarts like the mother Pratibha Singh, or the son Vikramaditya will be the Congress’s weapons. If Vikramaditya takes over his father’s mantle, then Kangana’s difficulties could increase. Like his father, Singh is also quite popular among the youth.
It is worth mentioning that in the 2021 Lok Sabha by-election, Congress candidate Pratibha Singh received 365,650 votes, while BJP’s Khushal Singh got 356,664 votes, with a vote margin of only 1.18 percent. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Ram Swaroop Sharma received 647,189 votes, while Congress’s Aashray Sharma got 241,730 votes, with a vote margin of 43 percent. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Ram Swaroop got 362,824 votes, while Congress’s Pratibha Singh received 322,968 votes, with a vote margin of 5.5 percent.
It has to be observed whether Kangana’s Bollywood image and her social media management would dilute the Modi’s wave on development and the simplicity of Himachal’s former CM Jai Ram Thakur, in the constituency? Or will she make her own way into politics, keeping aside all the controversies as an actress?