New Delhi:

Newly-elected BJP MP and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has asked people in her Lok Sabha constituency, Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi, to bring their Aadhaar Cards with them if they want to meet her, drawing Congress’ ire.

Speaking to reporters, Ms Ranaut also said the purpose of their visit will have to be written down on paper so that they don’t face any inconvenience.

“Himachal Pradesh attracts a lot of tourists, so it is necessary to have an Aadhaar card from the Mandi area. Your work related to the constituency should also be written in the letter so that you don’t have to face inconvenience,” she said.

“Tourists come so much that common people face a lot of inconveniences,” she said.

She also said that if people from Himachal’s northern region want to meet her, they can visit her home in Manali, while people in Mandi can visit her office in the city.

“It is better when you meet in person regarding your work,” she added.

Congress Attacks Kangana Ranaut

Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh, who lost to Kangana Ranaut from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, attacked his rival and said if the people want to meet him, they “don’t need to bring the Aadhaar card”.

“We are people’s representatives. So, it is our responsibility to meet people from every section of the state. Whether it is a small task, a big task, a policy matter, or a personal work, it does not require any identity. If a person is coming to a public representative, they are coming for some work,” Mr Singh, who is also the sitting state Public Works Minister, told reporters.

“Asking people to bring their papers for a meeting is not right,” Mr Singh, the son of six times Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, said.

Mandi:

Kangana Ranaut, the BJP candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, on Tuesday filed her nominations for the Lok Sabha seat. Accompanied by her mother and sister, the Bollywood actor-turned-politician credited the people of Mandi for her electoral debut.

Kangana said that it was the love of the people of Mandi that had brought her back to her home state, and hoped to make a mark for herself in politics just like she had done in film.

आज मंडी संसदीय क्षेत्र से भारतीय जनता पार्टी के उम्मीदवार के रूप में नामांकन दाखिल किया।

मंडी लोकसभा क्षेत्र की जनता का प्यार और विश्वास देख अभिभूत हूं। मैं आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी, माननीय राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री @JPNadda जी, माननीय गृहमंत्री श्री @AmitShah जी,… pic.twitter.com/KjbKOUMO4v

— Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) May 14, 2024

“The people of Mandi and their love for me have brought me here. Women in our country are making a mark in every field but incidents of feticide in Mandi were high a few years ago. Today, the women from Mandi are in the Army, the field of education and politics,” said Kangana.

When asked about Congress, she said “The anti-national mentality of the Congress party is a matter of concern for the country…”

Kangana’s mother Asha Ranaut who accompanied her said, “The public have come here to support Kangana. We will definitely win. She has done a lot of work for the people and will do so in the future too…”

Her sister Rangoli Ranaut who was also present while Kangana filed her nomination said, “I extend my best wishes on this new journey of her. You can witness how the people support her in the crowd…”

After filing her nomination, Kangana said, “Today I have filed nomination from Mandi LS seat. It is a matter of pride for me to have the opportunity to contest from Mandi… I have been successful in Bollywood and I am hopeful that I will get success in the field of politics as well.”

The decision to field Kangana from Mandi, which has traditionally been a stronghold of the ruling Congress in the state, adds a layer of intrigue to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

In her maiden bid for membership of the Lower House, she faces a formidable challenge in the form of Congress heavyweight and the son of late former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya Singh.

Polling in Himachal, which is scheduled for June 1, will not only pit candidates vying for Lok Sabha membership from four seats but also elect members for six assembly seats that fell vacant following the resignation and switchover of dissident Congress lawmakers.

The BJP, which won all four Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the 2019 elections, is eyeing an encore this time.

The Mandi constituency holds symbolic significance for the Congress, as it is considered a bastion of the Virbhadra family.

The seat is currently held by Pratibha Devi Singh, the late leader’s widow. She wrested the seat for the Congress in the bye-election that was held following the demise of then-BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Shimla:

Actor Kangana Ranaut, who is the first Bollywood celebrity to contest Lok Sabha elections from Himachal Pradesh, has been maintaining a distance from the media during the campaign but has been welcoming to common voters: dancing with them at times, interacting in their dialects and obliging to their selfie requests.

She has so far been concentrating on small gatherings and roadshows, where people first try to get a glimpse of her from close quarters and then potentially get clicked with the “Queen” star.

Selfies and group photos with the actor, who has been fielded by the BJP from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, are in vogue as it is the first time a celebrity is contesting elections in Himachal Pradesh.

Videos of Ms Ranaut, who hails from Mandi, dancing with local women and sweeping temple premises during her campaign have gone viral.

To forge an instant connect, she often interacts with her prospective voters in their dialects and emphasises that she is a daughter of Mandi.

मंडी की मेरी माताओं-बहनों का इस प्यारे गीत के लिए बहुत-बहुत आभार।

आप सभी का ये प्यार ही 400 पार की गारंटी है। pic.twitter.com/btzV2DUEkt

— Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) May 4, 2024

Known for her unfiltered remarks, Ms Ranaut has given some media bites but not yet offered them an interaction involving questions and answers.

BJP leaders say her typical campaign day starts with paying obeisance at the temples of local deities. She focuses on the women voters, who comprise about 49 percent of the total voters of the state, and the youth.

She has said she would ensure women and men are “equal in all spheres”.

Ms Ranaut, who often voiced pro-BJP opinions even before she joined the party and was fielded from Mandi, bashes Congress leaders for their alleged anti-women remarks and talks derisively about dynastic politics.

Himachal Pradesh’s Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, a scion of the erstwhile Rampur estate, is her challenger from the Mandi Parliament seat. He is the son of six-time chief minister late Virbhadra Singh and the current state Congress president Pratibha Singh.

Ms Ranaut often uses the term “Shezada” to attack Vikramaditya Singh and takes digs at him by repeatedly asserting that, unlike him, she is not in politics because of her father or mother.

She has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an “ansh” of Lord Ram and Vishnu and claims that she would work like people’s postwoman, taking their issues and problems to New Delhi.

But some people, like Mahesh who is a senior citizen from Sundernagar, feel that Ms Ranaut’s personal attacks and snide remarks against her rivals might not go down well with voters in Himachal Pradesh even though they might be getting cheers from the crowd.

“Such kinds of politics and insulting remarks do not resonate with people in Dev Bhoomi Himachal,” Mahesh said.

The Mandi Parliament seat comprises 17 assembly seats, eight are reserved for Schedule Tribe and Schedule caste.

These seats include Chamba district’s three tribal assembly constituencies — Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti and Bharmour; Kullu district’s all four assembly segments — Kullu, Manali, Banjar and Anni; Mandi district’s nine assembly constituencies — Sundernagar, Balh, Mandi, Darang, Jogindernagar, Nachan, Seraj, Karsog and Sarkaghat; and Rampur in Shimla district.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)