Sitting MP and mother Pratibha Singh makes way for 2-time MLA son; he invokes Ayodhya, Jai Shri Ram

The decision was taken in a Congress Central Election Committee in Delhi, which was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal. Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Pratibha Singh, and AICC in-charge Rajeev Shukla, were also present.

Vikramaditya, who is also the state Congress in-charge of Mandi parliamentary constituency, had earlier said that his family has an emotional connection with the people of Mandi as his father as well as mother have been elected from this seat thrice.

Historically, the Mandi constituency has favoured scions of erstwhile princely states, electing royals in 13 out of 19 elections, including two bypolls since 1952.

The two-time MLA from the Shimla (rural) assembly segment, is the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr.

Earlier, 34-year-old Vikramaditya had resigned as cabinet minister from Sukhu-led Cabinet following a crisis in ruling Congress, only to take the resignation back following intervention from party high command. While resigning as the PWD minister, Vikramaditya had minced no words in questioning the functioning of the government under Sukhu in its rule of around 14 months. He had also broken down while announcing his resignation. Vikramaditya had said that CM Sukhu led government could not even arrange for two square yards of land to put up a statue of Virbhadra Singh at Shimla’s Mall Road.

An alumnus of St Stephen’s College, Delhi and a post-graduate in history, Vikramaditya was Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress president from 2013 to 2018. He did his schooling at Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. He had also represented Himachal Pradesh in Rifle and Trap shooting Competition in the National Shooting Championship.

Even before his candidature was announced, Vikramaditya was involved in a spat with ‘Queen’ fame actor Ranaut with neither pulling any punches. While Vikramaditya had termed Ranaut “queen of controversies”, she had indirectly termed the state minister as “Chota Pappu”.

Last Thursday, Ranaut launched a blistering attack on Vikramaditya saying, “Yeh tumhare baap-dada ki riyasat nahin hai, ke tum mujhe dara, dhamka ke vapis bhej doge (This is not the estate of your father or grandfather that you will threaten me and send me back)”.

Her remarks came in response to Vikramaditya’s jibe a few days earlier about her reported comments over beef-eating. “I pray to Lord Ram to give her wisdom and hope she goes back pure from ‘Dev Bhoomi’ Himachal to Bollywood because she will not win the elections as she knows nothing about the people of Himachal,” he had said.

Terming Vikramaditya as “‘ek number ka jhootha’ (liar No. 1)” and “paltubaaz” (one who repeatedly changes stance), Ranaut had also taken a jibe at his family saying, “I have made my name in the film industry without the help of my father and mother”. She had asserted that politics is an expression of service and “anyone from a king to a beggar” is entitled to that expression.

The factors working in favour of Ranaut are former Himachal Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur’s hold over Mandi and that the party has won all the nine assembly segments under the parliament constituency.

BJP leader Khushal Thakur, a Kargil war hero who lost to Pratibha Singh by a margin of 7,490 votes in Lok Sabha bypolls held in November 2021, has rendered his support to Ranaut. “There are over one lakh ex-servicemen in this Parliament constituency”, he had said earlier.

Moreover, BJP leader and the titular king of Kullu Maheshwar Singh, who earlier opposed Ranaut’s candidature, has extended his support to her.

Of the 17 assembly segments under the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, eight are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled castes.

Since 1952, the parliamentary seat has been represented by Raj Kumai Amrit Kaur of Kapurthala dynasty and Raja Joginder Sen Bahadur of the princely state of Mandi once each, Raja Lalit Sen of Suket twice, Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh thrice each and Maheshwar Singh thrice.

Three-time MP from Mandi and former Union minister Sukh Ram, two-time winner Ram Swaroop and Ganga Singh were the exceptions and did not hail from royal families.