Munish Sood
MANDI: In the midst of mounting criticism over her handling of the recent natural disaster in her constituency Mandi, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday (July 24, 2025).
The meeting, officially described as a briefing on the flood situation in Mandi, is being widely interpreted as a damage-control move following a series of public and political missteps.
Kangana’s meeting with Amit Shah comes weeks after torrential rains and cloudbursts wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, leaving dozens dead and thousands displaced. While the tragedy unfolded on the ground, Kangana Ranaut, elected with a landslide from Mandi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, was noticeably absent from her constituency in the initial days. Her absence triggered widespread outrage, not only from the public but also from within her own party.
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who was actively coordinating relief on the ground, refrained from directly naming her but remarked, “We are here for those who care.”
When Kangana Ranaut finally addressed the issue, her justification added fuel to the fire. She claimed she had been advised by Jai Ram Thakur himself to stay away until roads reopened. The explanation, far from pacifying critics, sparked a political storm. Many accused her of shifting blame and showing a lack of basic responsibility toward her constituents.
Adding to the controversy, during her brief visit to Mandi, Kangana Ranaut made a remark that left both opposition leaders and citizens stunned. Referring to her limited official powers as an MP, she said, “I have no cabinet post, no funds.” The comment, intended as a joke, was perceived as insensitive and dismissive during a time of widespread grief and loss.
The Congress and several state ministers condemned her remarks. Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh called her statements “insulting to the people of Mandi” while PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh said her visit was nothing more than a “photo-op”. Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi went further, accusing her of trivialising a tragedy for media mileage.
Even within the BJP, murmurs of disapproval have grown louder. Several senior leaders, speaking off-record, expressed concerns over her political immaturity and apparent detachment from grassroots responsibilities. A party functionary was quoted as saying, “She has yet to understand that Parliament is only a part of an MP’s job — her real test lies in public service, not press conferences.”
With her political credibility under question, today’s meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah appears to be an attempt to regain narrative control. The BJP high command, which had handpicked Kangana Ranaut for Mandi over several seasoned contenders, now faces the task of defending their decision amid growing public scrutiny.
Sources said the Centre may soon announce a relief package for Himachal Pradesh and Kangana Ranaut may be tasked with acting as a liaison between the affected people and New Delhi. Whether that will restore her standing in Mandi remains to be seen.
