Difficult for BJP to cross even 200 seats in LS polls: Himachal Cong chief

As the voting in the seventh and last phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election began on Saturday, Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha Singh said it is "difficult" for the BJP to even cross 200 seats.

The majority mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha is 272.

"I am hopeful that people in large numbers are going to vote for the Congress party as they want change in the central government. It is difficult for them (BJP) to cross even 200 seats," Pratibha Singh told ANI.

Earlier in the day she and her son Vikramaditya Singh, who is the Congress candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, offered prayers at Shani Mandir in Rampur before casting their votes.

In the constituency, Vikramaditya Singh is pitted against BJP's Kangana Ranaut.

While talking to ANI, Vikramaditya asked whether Kangana visited Mandi when it was affected by a natural calamity.

"I want to ask Kangana Ranaut that when Mandi was affected by a natural calamity and there was a loss of crores of rupees, it was Mandi MP Pratibha Singh who met the people there and carried out an inspection...Did Kangana Ranaut come to meet the people (in Mandi)?" Vikramaditya said.

Meanwhile, exuding confidence in the BJP sweeping all four seats in Himachal Pradesh, Kangana Ranaut said that there is a complete "Modi wave" in Himachal.

Ranaut on Saturday arrived at a polling booth in Mandi to cast her vote in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Urging voters to cast their vote, Kangana said, "I appeal to everyone to exercise their right to vote in this festival of democracy. There has been so much bloodshed so that we can exercise this right".

"There is a complete Modi wave in Himachal Pradesh. Our Prime Minister has conducted almost 200 rallies, gave atleast 80-90 interviews in just two months," she added.

Exuding confidence in BJP's "400 paar" slogan for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kangana said, "We are soldiers of PM Modi, and will win all four seats in Himachal Pradesh".

Hitting back at the opposition for criticising PM Modi for performing meditation in Kanyakumari, Kangana said "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 set to witness a high-profile contest as actor Kangana Ranaut, making her foray into politics will be looking forward to wresting the seat from the Congress party.

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 CM Virbhadra Singh leader's widow. She wrested the seat for the Congress in the by-election that was held following the demise of then-BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

For the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Congress has announced Himachal Pradesh Minister and Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh as the party's candidate for the seat, spicing up the battle with two big names entering the fray.

The four Lok Sabha constituencies in Himachal Pradesh -- Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur, and Shimla are voting in the seventh and the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections today in addition with by polls in six assemly seats in the state.

A total of 904 candidates are in the fray for the final phase of polling. The prominent candidates in the fray in this phase include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad, Nishikant Dubey, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Congress leaders Manish Tewari, Charanjit Singh Channi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Misa Bharti.