The Newz Radar
DHARAMSHALA: Raise ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan loudly, loud enough to reach the ears of the ‘Yuvraj’ whose mother, during the Congress regime, had dictated lawyers to tell the court that Lord Ram didn’t exist, said Union Minister and BJP star leader Smriti Irani during a rally at the Chambi ground in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra in May 2022.
Smriti’s statement was an attack against her rival Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, both top leaders of the Congress. Surprisingly, by the end of 2023, Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh has capitalised on the Ram Mandir consecration more effectively than any BJP leader in Himachal politics. He is in the limelight, both nationally and regionally, for his active participation in the inauguration of the Ram Mandir.
During a TNR interview conducted during the recent winter session of the Assembly in Dharamshala, Vikramaditya had said that his father had contributed around Rs 2 lakh for the Ram temple construction, and that his family still continued to maintain close ties with Hindu groups. This outreach spanned across party lines, he said.
While Congress media managers failed to analyse Vikramaditya’s strategic moves, it is essential to acknowledge his political acumen, being the son of six-time Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh.
Vikramaditya Singh has successfully occupied the political space that the BJP was aiming to establish in Himachal.
This will undoubtedly benefit him in Mandi parliamentary constituency in case he is made to contest in the coming Lok Sabha polls, and further enhance his political standing. Additionally, Vikramaditya informed the masses that his father played a pivotal role in enacting a law against the forceful religious conversion in the state.
Given Vikramaditya’s age and political landscape in Himachal, his actions surrounding the Ram Mandir, one of BJP’s major political achievements, have been astute. While the future remains unpredictable, Vikramaditya Singh has maximised the political dividends from the forthcoming Ram Mandir consecration to the fullest.
