Lok Sabha polls: In Mandi, it's PM's charisma vs Raja Saheb's legacy

As one enters Mandi town, popularly known as Chhoti Kashi for its tapestry of ancient temples, towering hoardings of two formidable political contenders stand side-by-side in a curious yet harmonious juxtaposition.

On one side is the hoarding of Kangana Ranaut (37), Bollywood actor who is making her political debut in this Lok Sabha election on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. On the other side, it is of Himachal Pradesh’s Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh (34), son of the late Virbhadra Singh, a six-time chief minister of the state.

This high-profile contest has drawn national attention.

The BJP had won all four seats in Himachal Pradesh in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. However, in the by-election in Mandi in 2021 following the death of the then MP Ram Swaroop Sharma, Vikramaditya’s mother Pratibha Singh won the seat by a margin of around 7,000 votes. In 2019, Sharma had won this seat by a margin of 400,000 votes.

After the BJP announced Kangana’s candidacy for the Mandi constituency, Pratibha decided not to contest, making way for her son. Mandi is geographically the largest constituency of Himachal Pradesh, with a mix of high-altitude mountainous terrain extending up to China and lower valleys.

Modi’s magic?

In Mandi, even staunch BJP supporters acknowledge that Kangana must rely more on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s influence than her celebrity status for victory.

Pankaj Sood, a footwear shop owner, says: “If Kangana wins, she will win because of Modi lahar (wave). What does she know about politics otherwise?”

Prakash, owner of a watch store says, he does not know who the better candidate is, but says: “Kangana will go back to Mumbai. Vikramaditya, on the other hand, is expected to stay here.” Whatever the result, according to some locals, it will be an extremely close contest. “The victory margin will be only a few thousand votes. Kangana would have won easily had it been any candidate other than Vikramaditya. He is unblemished, amiable and a good communicator. People also have sympathy for him because he is Raja Saheb’s son. People will vote for Kangana in the name of Modi. It would have been better if the BJP had fielded someone else.”

The beneficiaries of the PM-KISAN and Ujjwala schemes form a sizeable support group for the BJP in this constituency. Laskri Ram, a septuagenarian roadside barber who is getting Rs 500 a month under the PM KISAN scheme, praises Modi's work for the country. “One can’t blame Modi ji for rising unemployment or inflation. It would have been the same had there been any other government.”

There is also dissatisfaction with the state’s Congress government among a section of the electorate, who accuse it of overpromising and underdelivering. Prime Minister Modi, in a recent public speech in Mandi, himself highlighted the state government's failure in implementing the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojna, which promises every woman in Himachal Pradesh Rs 1,500 per month.

But Ramesh Chauhan, professor of political science at Shimla University, says it is unlikely to be a one-sided affair in Himachal for the BJP this time. “The Congress has an advantage in Shimla and Mandi, while the BJP has an upper hand in the Hamirpur and Kangra Lok Sabha constituencies. Even if Kangana gets handsome votes from proper Mandi’s nine Assembly segments, the margin of votes from other parts of the parliamentary constituency (such as Rampur, Kinnaur, Kullu and Manali) will be much higher.”

Virbhadra’s legacy

Nothing unites common Himachalis across party lines like their reverence for Virbhadra Singh, fondly referred to as Raja Saheb. Born in the royal Rajput family, Virbhadra Singh was the longest-serving chief minister of the state and an MP from Mandi thrice. Singh died in July 2021 at the age of 87.

“Though I want Modi ji to be Prime Minister again, I will vote for Vikramaditya because of Raja Saheb’s contribution to Himachal Pradesh,” says O P Thakur, owner of a guest house in Mandi. Asked how Modi would become Prime Minister if he voted for the Congress candidate, pat comes the reply: “Himachal has four seats. I want BJP to win in the other three seats, not Mandi.”

But Chitta Singh, another local, interjects: “The Congress is a sinking ship. Only Modi ji can save the country. We sought redemption by voting for Pratibha Singh, Raja Saheb’s queen, in 2019. End of the story.”  Thakur quickly disagrees: “And now we will vote for Raja Saheb’s son as well.” Both burst into laughter.

Asked how they could maintain their bonhomie despite their contrasting views, Thakur says: “Rajneeti ke pichhe bhaaichara nahi khona hai. Apne apne vichaar hain. Magar ladte nahi hum (We must not lose brotherhood over politics. Everyone has their own views, but we do not fight).”     

Maybe there is a lesson or two to be learned from the warm camaraderie among the people of Himachal Pradesh.