NEW DELHI : Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh will be the Congress’s candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, his mother and state party chief Pratibha Singh told Newstrack24x7.com on Saturday. Vikramaditya Singh will be contesting against actor Kangana Ranaut who was fielded by the BJP.
Vikramaditya Singh, a two-time MLA from Shimla Rural constituency, is the son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, who is also the sitting MP from the Mandi seat. He is also the former state youth Congress president.
35-year-old Vikramaditya Singh is a cabinet minister in Himachal Pradesh.Son of Pratibha Singh and former CM Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya became the titular kind of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr (town in Shimla) after his father’s death. Vikramaditya Singh holds a master’s degree in History from Delhi’s St Stephen’s College. He joined politics in 2013 and won his first election in 2017 — from Shimla Rural.
Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha seats. The polling on these four seats, along with six Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh that fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLAs will be held on June 1.
The BJP had won all four seats in 2019. The counting will be done on June 4.The Mandi constituency is considered a stronghold of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s family.The seat is currently held by the late leader’s wife Pratibha Singh. She was elected after a by-election in 2021, after the seat was vacated after the death of BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.
The Himachal Minister Vikramaditya Singh challenged Ranaut to have a debate with him on their visions for the state. Taking a jibe at her, he said that he would pray to Lord Ram for giving some “good sense” to Ranaut. “What have you contributed and what is going to be your role in the near future. What is your vision and planning for the future as a candidate from Mandi for BJP? You are trying to mislead and spoil the time of the people of Himachal Pradesh,” Singh said.
“I have visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22nd and taken blessings of Lord Ram. I would pray Lord Ram to provide you a good sense. I would request that let’s have a debate on the developmental trajectories of the state. I wish you good luck and wish you keep talking like this and using this kind of language,” he added further.
This prince is a two-time MLA from the Shimla rural constituency and currently serves as PWD, Youth Services & Sports, and Urban Development Minister in the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu government. Before being picked as the candidate, Vikramaditya had been active in the upcoming polls and recently commented on Kangana’s speech in Manali. Taking a jibe at Ranaut, he said that he bowed his head at the language that the Bollywood actress used for Himachal and the Congress party.
Commenting on her speech where she said Manali is her home, Vikramaditya said that it suffered the biggest disaster of this era a few months back, where was she then? Why didn’t she pay a single visit to her ‘home’?
In response to recent remarks made by BJP’s Mandi Lok Sabha seat candidate Kangana Ranaut, the Congress has issued a sharp rebuke, urging her to focus on relevant issues concerning the hill state.
Vikramaditya Singh expressed his disappointment over Ranaut’s choice of language during a political speech in Manali. He stated, “I respect Kangana Ranaut a lot… But never before had such language been used in this holy land. She delivered a political speech in Manali, where she used an abusive term. She was in Manali but failed to talk about the local issues.”
Singh further criticised Ranaut’s absence during a natural disaster in Manali, highlighting the Congress party’s efforts in relief and restoration work. He urged Ranaut to articulate her vision for Himachal Pradesh instead of engaging in derogatory remarks. “She abused our party, Himachal Pradesh, and me… We were on the ground after the disaster and ensured that restoration and relief works were carried out at the earliest. You [Kangana Ranaut] did not come to Manali even for a day. She needs to talk about her vision for Himachal,” he further said.

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