Kangana Ranaut to Contest Lok Sabha Polls from Mandi on BJP Ticket

In a significant political development from Shimla on March 24, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh. Among the notable names, actor Kangana Ranaut has been chosen to represent the party from the Mandi constituency. This decision was part of the fifth list of BJP candidates unveiled on Sunday. Alongside Ranaut, Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj, a senior party leader, has been named as the candidate for the Kangra constituency.

The BJP has also renominated Union Information and Broadcast Minister Anurag Thakur to contest from Hamirpur and incumbent MP Suresh Kashyap from the Shimla SC constituency. With these announcements, the party has now declared its candidates for all four Lok Sabha seats in the state. The elections are scheduled to take place in the seventh and last phase on June 1, with the counting of votes set for June 4.

Ranaut expressed her gratitude and excitement about her nomination through a post on X, stating her unconditional support for the BJP and her honor in officially joining the party as a candidate. Hailing from Bhambla in Mandi district, Ranaut is an acclaimed actor, filmmaker, producer, and a recipient of four National Awards. Her candidacy had been speculated for some time, especially after she expressed openness to contesting from Mandi if offered a ticket by the BJP in October 2022.

In Kangra, Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj will be contesting instead of sitting MP Kishan Kapoor. Bharadwaj is currently serving as the vice president of BJP's Himachal Pradesh unit and has a rich history of involvement with the party. Professionally, he is a practicing doctor and has previously held the position of president at Kangra Cooperative Bank during the last BJP government in the state.

The Mandi seat is currently held by Pratibha Singh of the Congress Party, who won a by-election in November 2021 following the death of Ram Swaroop Sharma. However, Singh recently announced she would not be contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, citing unfavorable conditions and low morale among party workers.

It's noteworthy that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured all four seats in Himachal Pradesh with significant majorities. However, following Sharma's death, a by-election in Mandi saw Pratibha Singh winning by a margin of 8,766 votes amidst a sympathy wave for her late husband and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

This move by the BJP to nominate high-profile candidates like Ranaut indicates a strategic approach to maintaining its stronghold in Himachal Pradesh. As the state prepares for another electoral battle, all eyes will be on how these nominations influence voter sentiment and whether the BJP can replicate its previous success.