After BJP fields Kangana from Mandi, Himachal Congress president Pratibha reluctantly throws her hat into ring
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The Newz Radar
MANDI: The allocation of the BJP ticket for the Lok Sabha election from Mandi to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has stirred the political pot in Himachal Pradesh.
Current MP Pratibha Singh, who is also the Himachal Congress president, now appears to be ready to contest the elections after earlier having announced that she had opted out.
Talking to TNR, Pratibha said she was ready to contest the Lok Sabha election from Mandi if the Congress high command asked her to fight. She had earlier cited “unfavourable ground conditions, with grassroots workers disheartened due to the lack of cooperation between the ruling Congress government and the organisation”.
Her statement had come at a time when the Congress government in the state was struggling to maintain unity after six party rebels, along with three Independents, cross-voted in favour of BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha election last month.
Intriguing contest on cards
With the BJP declaring Kangana as its candidate from Mandi, pressure is mounting on Pratibha from within the party ranks to reconsider her decision. Political analysts believe that if Pratibha contests from the Congress, the battle could be intriguing as Kangana is a fresh face in politics while Pratibha is a three-time MP from Mandi with extensive political experience as the wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
The Congress leaders in Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti and Shimla also believe that since many BJP leaders are unhappy with the party’s decision to field Kangana, it might work in Pratibha’s favour. They are now urging Pratibha and relaying their feedback to the high command to persuade the sitting MP to contest from Mandi.
Pratibha is three-term MP from Mandi
When contacted by TNR, Pratibha shared that though she had already expressed reluctance to contest the election from Mandi, the high command’s decision was final. “If I am asked by the high command to reconsider my decision and directed to contest the election, I will obey the orders,” she claimed. It could be an interesting contest if Pratibha takes on Kangana.
While Kangana is bold, outspoken and fiercely powerful in her words and actions, Pratibha carries the legacy of her late husband Virbhadra, who had won the hearts of the state’s people. Pratibha won the Mandi seat in 2004, 2013 and in the 2021 byelection. Virbhadra had won in 1971, 1980 and 2009.
Both fiercely vocal in airing views
For Kangana, the battlefield is entirely new and unfamiliar from her usual domain. Her only advantage is that she has gained recognition for speaking on various matters related to religion, public and the integrity of the nation. She rose to political fame when the Shiv Sena demolished her office in Mumbai, and she confronted the party alone, taking it head-on on all social media platforms.
The state Congress chief is also vocal on several issues and has been pressing her own government for rewarding dedicated leaders of the organisation who worked hard for the party’s victory. She has even mentioned that party leaders and MLAs were unhappy as their concerns were not being addressed.
