Kangana Ranaut begins Lok Sabha campaign with roadshow in Mandi

Actor Kangana Ranaut began her Lok Sabha election campaign in Mandi constituency on Friday, 29 March, with a roadshow, hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with "Jai Shri Ram" and asserting that the BJP's main agenda is development.

A large number of people turned up to see the Bollywood actor, a four-time National Award winner who was born in Mandi's Bhambla town.

Amidst the chants of "Jai Shri Ram", the BJP workers welcomed Ranaut by showering flowers on her and dancing to the beat of drums.

Ranaut started the roadshow in her home town with "Modi Ji ko Jai Shri Ram". She hailed other BJP leaders with similar slogans.

"Development is BJP's main agenda and we will spare no effort to win the elections under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi," she said, adding that the "people of Mandi will tell what is in their hearts".

This was Ranaut's first public appearance in her constituency after getting the BJP ticket on 24 March.

In October 2022, Ranaut had said she was open to contesting from Mandi if the BJP offered her a ticket.

Crediting PM Modi with a "change in the country" since 2014, Ranaut had said a feeling of pride and nationalism prevails among every Indian.

At present, the Mandi Lok Sabha seat is being represented by Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Pratibha Singh, wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and mother of public works minister Vikramaditya Singh. She won the 2021 Lok Sabha bypolls.

Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday targetted Ranaut by indirectly comparing her to Sunny Deol, another actor-politician in the BJP camp, who has been criticised for his absences from Parliament and his Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress leader shared on social media a purported notice from Deol appointing a "representative" for attending meetings in his Gurdaspur constituency on his behalf.

"I pray to Lord Ram that such situation does not arise in Mandi," the Congress leader said on Facebook, asking people of the constituency to think hard before casting their vote.

The election to four Lok Sabha seats of Shimla, Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra would be held along with by-elections in six Assembly seats in the last phase on 1 June.