Election-campaign Kangana gives Mandi a taste of Bollywood stardust

All her action at the moment is happening in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, but actress-turned-Lok-Sabha contestant Kangana Ranaut seems unable to shed her Bollywood persona.

The political debutante, as a star candidate of the BJP, is trying to woo the Himachali voter by donning local outfits during her election rallies. On the other hand, she borrowed her filmic character to go all out against her adversaries.

And Mandi is now witnessing the rare sight of a politician who comes accompanied by makeup artists and costume designers.

Although the Bollywood effect can be called amusing, Kangana's choice of words, often insulting to her political rivals, has been criticized globally. devbhoomi (God's Land), whose political atmosphere is traditionally defined neither by acrimony nor by bitter rhetoric.

Shades of Dhaakad-Manikarnika

During her election campaigns, Kangana adopts a stern attitude. The nuances of her on-screen “brave woman” characters in films such as Dhakad, Manikarnika And Téjas are clearly visible.

While his clothes exude warm vibes of charm and tradition, his diatribes and choice of vocabulary against the Congress and INDIA bloc leave the people of Himachal amazed.

This is also the first time that a political candidate in the state is seen traveling with an entourage of makeup and costume assistants besides a security team and a film-making crew.

Fodder for rivals

Kangana's Bollywood-style campaign has given her rival candidate enough fodder to take shots at her.

This is not a film shoot. I will become your devotee if you get 9,000 crore state pension from Modi, Vikramaditya Singh, the incumbent king of Bushahr and Congress candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, said in one of his campaign speeches.

Singh was perhaps referring to Kangana's words of praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which are more frequent than mentions of local issues in her speeches.

The Mandi Lok Sabha constituency comprises three of the state's 17 Assembly constituencies, Lahaul Spiti, Pangi and Kinnaur. These three seats traditionally belong to the Congress, notably to the royal family of Bushahr. This time, the Congress has fielded Singh, an MP from Shimla rural constituency, in place of his mother and sitting Mandi Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Singh.

Dress as a statement

One might wonder what could have made Kangana take her campaign outfit so seriously. Not only are the clothes conservative, but they also match local temperament and traditions.

The answer lies in the controversy that erupted soon after his name was announced for the Lok Sabha elections by the BJP. Photos of her in skimpy outfits from her modeling days went viral on social media, with many questioning the party's decision to feature her.

Kangana responded to the issue with an all Himachali wardrobe. Be it Pangi or Kinnaur, she adhered to the local dress code, including tribal choices. Similarly, she arrived in Mandi in a suit and saree, and in Rampur, she wore the local outfits Dhatu and Rezta.

Stronghold of Congress

Considering that Rampur is a stronghold of Vikramaditya and his father and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, Kangana uses her attire as a weapon in her confrontation with the royal candidate.

However, sources say all this has become an additional burden on the BJP. They have to arrange a large number of rooms to accommodate Kangana and her large team during her election campaign.

Sources who wished to remain anonymous said The federal that the workers and volunteers traveling with Kangana are mostly party workers.

Unworthy excavations, missteps

Kangana's opponent Vikramaditya also launched a scathing attack on her over her mercurial temperament, poor choice of words and outrageous comments on her rivals during election rallies.

At a rally, Kangana used the word Pappu, used in a derogatory manner by the BJP and right-wing trolls, to refer to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

In a misstep which left BJP leaders red-faced, Kangana, in another public meeting, took a dig at her own party, saying it lost in the 2022 Himachal Assembly elections due to its own errors. Former BJP chief minister Jai Ram Thakur shared the dais with her.

While the state Congress has dubbed her a political actress, Kangana in her speeches refers to Vikramaditya as Shahzada, meaning Prince.

Hateful rhetoric in a state of peace

It is worth noting that Himachal is a very peaceful state and its people are quite dignified. Politicians, when addressing people from the stage, generally speak in a civilized manner.

Vikramaditya's father Virbhadra Singh, who served as chief minister for six terms, was a favorite of the masses because of his gentle demeanor.

Not only him, BJP's Thakur, again a former CM, is also known for his extremely warm, dignified and calm interactions with the public.

Be it the outgoing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu or his predecessors Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, none of them ever used harsh, inappropriate or wrong language on stage or in administrative proceedings to make your point or score political points.

This is the first time that bitter attacks have vitiated the sanctity of the political atmosphere and the dignity of this hilly state.

“Queen” versus “King”

Even if Kangana strives to highlight it Dhakad avatar among the Mandi audience, his victory depends solely on the goodwill of senior BJP leaders and workers.

Therefore, as soon as Kangana received the ticket, Thakur arrived at her house to meet her. In Mandi, Thakur and most of the BJP MLAs are working hard to help the actor win.

On the other hand, Vikramaditya is banking on the work done, including the jobs provided by his mother-MP Pratibha Singh and father-CM Virbhadra Singh in Mandi for four decades. On the electoral battlefield, the cut-throat competition is directly linked to the prestige of Thakur, Modi and the royal family.

While Queen remains one of Kangana's biggest hits, Vikramaditya is “king”, due to his royal lineage. So it’s a case of Queen versus King.