Lok Sabha BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut, exuded confidence in the BJP’s success in all four seats in Himachal Pradesh, attributing it to a pervasive “Modi wave” in the region. She arrived at a polling booth in Mandi to cast her vote in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections and urged voters to exercise their democratic rights, emphasizing the sacrifices made for this privilege. Kangana asserted, “There is a complete Modi wave in Himachal Pradesh. Our Prime Minister has conducted almost 200 rallies, gave at least 80-90 interviews in just two months.” Expressing allegiance to the BJP’s “400 paar” slogan for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, she declared, “We are soldiers of PM Modi, and will win all four seats in Himachal Pradesh.”
Responding to criticism of PM Modi’s meditation in Kanyakumari, Kangana defended him, stating, “Meditation is not new for the Prime Minister. Even when he was not a politician he used to meditate. Now these people have a problem with that too.” The Mandi constituency is poised for a high-profile contest with Kangana Ranaut entering politics to challenge the Congress stronghold, symbolized by the Virbhadra family. The Congress has fielded Himachal Pradesh Minister and Virbhadra Singh’s son, Vikramaditya Singh, as their candidate for the seat, intensifying the battle between two prominent figures.
Today marks the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh, with Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, and Shimla constituencies in the fray, alongside by-polls in six assembly seats. With a total of 904 candidates contesting in this phase, prominent figures include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Nishikant Dubey, Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Charanjit Singh Channi, as well as leaders from other parties like Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).