Kangana shows she’s new ‘Queen’ of Himachal politics, takes big lead over royal scion Vikramaditya
The Newz Radar Network
MANDI: In hot seat Mandi, BJP candidate and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut appears to have proven to her detractors that she’s set to be the new “Queen” not only in her constituency, but entire Himachal Pradesh politics.
Having acted in several blockbusters, including “Fashion”, “Tanu Weds Manu”, “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” and “Queen”, Kangana is born in Mandi, a constituency that she chose to opt for in her debut Lok Sabha election.
She was pitted against the Congress’ Vikramaditya Singh, a royal scion who was seen as a powerful candidate as his late father Virbhadra Singh was a six-term Himachal Chief Minister while his mother Pratibha Singh is the state president of the party as well as the outgoing MP from Mandi.
In the closely watched electoral battle, Kangana has taken a comfortable lead of nearly 70,000 votes against Vikramaditya, who is the Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister. With 10 candidates vying for the parliamentary seat in Mandi, all eyes were fixed on the showdown between Kangana and Vikramaditya.
If Kangana emerges victorious, it would mark the beginning of her political journey from her birthplace. Known for taking on the mighty in the film industry as well as in the Maharashtra political circles, her foray into politics carries significant implications for the region as she could be appointed a minister in the Narendra Modi government. More so as the PM Modi’s prominent tinsel town face Smriti Irani is headed towards a defeat in Amethi.
Had Vikramaditya secured a victory, it would have boosted his political career and provided the Virbhadra camp an edge over the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu faction, both of which have seen several showdowns during the 15-month stint of the Himachal Congress government. Though Vikramaditya — it was his maiden Lok Sabha poll debut — took the plunge when several other party top guns developed cold feet, a defeat is bound to dent his image of being an unassailable leader.
The outcome of the Mandi seat will not only determine the fate of the candidates, but will also serve as a litmus test for prominent figures such as Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and the Sukhu-led Congress government. The stakes are high for both the BJP and the Congress, with Kangana’s candidacy posing a challenge to Jai Ram Thakur’s credibility in the BJP camp. Vikramaditya’s performance—loss or win—too would, for sure, reflect upon the credibility of the state government.
