Mandi: The Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh has garnered significant attention in the 2024 General Elections due to Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut’s political debut as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. Ranaut faces a formidable opponent in Congress’ Vikramaditya Singh, heir of the Rampur royal family and son of the late Virbhadra Singh, a six-time Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh.
Mandi, known for its rich collection of ancient temples, is the largest constituency in Himachal Pradesh by geographical area and has a history of electing former royals. Traditionally a Congress stronghold, the seat shifted towards the BJP in recent elections. In 2014, BJP’s Ram Swaroop Sharma defeated Congress’s Pratibha Singh by a margin of 39,000 votes. Sharma retained the seat in 2019 with a significant margin, receiving 647,189 votes.
Kangana Ranaut’s entry into politics and her candidacy from Mandi has stirred the local political landscape. Pratibha Singh, the late MP Ram Sharma’s wife, decided not to run for office following Ranaut’s announcement. Local sentiment suggests that Ranaut’s potential victory could be heavily influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity.
Stay tuned for live updates on the election results from Mandi as Kangana Ranaut’s political journey unfolds against Vikramaditya Singh in this high-stakes contest.
