Kangana Ranaut votes; optimistic about BJP's success in Himachal Pradesh
Bollywood actor-turned-politician, Kangana Ranaut, participated in the seventh phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Saturday. The BJP candidate cast her vote at a polling station in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, where she is contesting. Urging citizens to exercise their democratic rights, Ranaut stated: "I have cast my vote right now. I want to appeal to the people to take part in the festival of democracy and exercise their right to vote."
Ranaut confident of BJP's prospects, addresses availability rumors
Ranaut expressed confidence in the BJP's chances in HP, attributing it to PM Narendra Modi's popularity. She told ANI: "PM Modi's wave is there in Himachal Pradesh...I am hopeful that the people of Mandi will bless me and we will get all 4 seats of the state." Meanwhile, addressing rumors about her availability, she said, "The way people have been misguided is that I will not be available here. I want to say that my entire team will be here."
Fierce competition for Mandi Lok Sabha seat
The Mandi Lok Sabha seat is currently witnessing a tough battle between two affluent candidates: Congress Party's Vikramaditya Singh and BJP's Ranaut. While Ranaut is leveraging her celebrity status, PM Modi's influence, and Ram temple factors for her campaign, Singh is relying on his father's legacy and the support of state Congress chief Pratibha Singh. The incumbent MP from Mandi is Singh, who won the seat for Congress in a by-election following the demise of then-BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.
Video of Ranaut casting her vote goes viral
Mandi constituency: A symbolic stronghold and a key battle
The Mandi constituency holds symbolic significance for the Congress as it is a stronghold of the Virbhadra family. The constituency, which spans six districts and includes 17 assembly segments, has reportedly 1,377,173 voters comprising 698,666 males, 678,504 females, and three third-gender individuals. The BJP aims to repeat its performance from the 2019 elections when it swept all four LS constituencies in HP. The results will be announced on Tuesday (June 4).
Her next release is 'Emergency'
Ranaut was last seen in the aerial actioner Tejas, directed by Sarvesh Mewara. It was released in October 2023 and is now streaming on ZEE5. Her next project is Emergency, which she has also directed. The film also stars Shreyas Talpade, the late Satish Kaushik, and Milind Soman, among others. It's been delayed by a few months and is awaiting a new release date.
