Kangana on campaign trail gives Mandi a taste of Bollywood stardust

All her action right now is in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, but actor-turned-Lok-Sabha-candidate Kangana Ranaut seems to be unable to shed her Bollywood persona.

The political debutante, as one of BJP’s star candidates, is trying to woo the Himachali voter by donning local attires to her poll rallies. On the other hand, she has borrowed her filmy persona to go all guns blazing against her opponents.

And Mandi is now witness to the rare site of a politician who comes accompanied by makeup artists and costume assistants.

While the Bollywood effect could be categorised as amusing, Kangana’s choice of words — often expletives — on her political rivals has come under criticism in the ‘devbhoomi’ (‘land of God’), whose political atmosphere is traditionally defined neither by acrimony nor by bitter rhetoric.

Shades of Dhaakad-Manikarnika

At her poll campaigns, Kangana adopts a stern demeanour. Shades of her onscreen 'brave-woman' characters in films such as Dhaakad, Manikarnika and Tejas are clearly visible.

While her clothes give out warm vibes of charm and tradition, her diatribes and choice of vocabulary against the Congress and the INDIA bloc are leaving the people of Himachal astonished.

It is also the first time that a political candidate in the state is seen travelling with an entourage of makeup and costume assistants besides a security team and a film direction crew.

Fodder for rivals

Kangana’s Bollywood-style campaigning has given her rival candidate enough fodder to take potshots at her.

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

Singh was perhaps alluding 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 encompasses three of the state’s 17 Assembly constituencies – Lahaul Spiti, Pangi, and Kinnaur. These three seats have traditionally been with the Congress, particularly the royal family of Bushahr. The Congress this time has fielded Singh, an MLA from Shimla Rural constituency, in place of his mother and sitting Mandi Lok Sabha MP Pratibha Singh.

Attire as a statement

One might wonder what could have prompted Kangana to take her campaign attire so seriously. Not only are the clothes conservative, but also in line with the local temperament and traditions.

The answer lies in the controversy that broke out soon after her name was announced for the Lok Sabha polls by the BJP. Photos of her in skimpy outfits – from her modelling days – went viral on social media, with many questioning the party’s decision to field her.

Kangana has responded to the issue with a fully Himachali wardrobe. Be it Pangi or Kinnaur, she has 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 Dhatu and Rezta attires.

Congress stronghold

Considering that Rampur is a stronghold of Vikramaditya and his father and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Kangana is using her attire as a weapon in her face-off with the ‘royal’ candidate.

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

Sources who wanted to stay anonymous told The Federal that workers and volunteers travelling with Kangana are mostly party workers.

Undignified digs, faux pas

Kangana’s opponent Vikramaditya has also launched a scathing attack on her over her mercurial temperament, poor choice of words and undignified comments on rivals at poll rallies.

In one rally, Kangana used the word ‘Pappu’ – derogatively used by the BJP and right-wing trolls for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

In a faux pas that left state BJP leaders red-faced, Kangana in another public meeting, took a dig at her own party, stating that it lost in the 2022 Himachal Assembly election due to its own mistakes. Former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur of the BJP was sharing the dais with her.

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

Hateful rhetoric in peaceful state

It is worth noting that Himachal is a very peaceful state, and people there are rather dignified. Politicians, while addressing people from the stage, typically speak in a civilised manner.

Vikramaditya’s father Virbhadra Singh, who was the Chief Minister for six terms, was a favourite of the masses because of his gentle demeanour.

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

Be it incumbent Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, or his predecessors Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, none of them has ever used harsh, inappropriate, or wrong language on stage or in administrative procedures to make a point or score political brownies.

This is the first occasion when bitter broadsides have come to vitiate the sanctity of the political atmosphere and dignity of the hilly state.

'Queen' vs 'King'

Even though Kangana is trying hard to showcase her Dhaakad avatar among the public in Mandi, her victory is solely dependent on the goodwill of senior leaders and workers of the BJP.

That's why as soon as Kangana got the ticket, Thakur reached her house to meet her. In Mandi, Thakur and most BJP MLAs are working hard to help the actor win.

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

While Queen remains one of Kangana's top grossers, Vikramaditya is 'King', due to his royal lineage. So, it's a case of Queen vs King.