Congress may persuade Pratibha Singh to take on Kangana Ranaut

Subhash Rajta

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Shimla, March 26

It could be Kangna Ranaut vs Pratibha Singh in the Mandi Parliamentary constituency if the Congress manages to persuade the latter to reconsider her decision to not contest. Pratibha Singh, who is the state Congress president and sitting MP from Mandi Parliamentary constituency, had refused to contest a few days back, citing discouraged workers and her duty as the party president to help other candidates win as the reasons for her refusal.

Now, the speculation is rife that she has been asked to reconsider her decision. “There’s a meeting of the coordination committee in Chandigarh tomorrow in which top state leaders and AICC party in-charge Rajeev Shukla is likely to participate. We will know after the meeting whether or not the party president has changed her mind on contesting the election,” said a party leader.

What gives further impetus to the possible Pratibha-Kangna contest from Mandi Parliamentary constituency is the state party chief’s mellowed stance on contesting the elections. “Whenever the party high command has asked me to contest the elections, I have never backed out. As for this election, I have apprised the party high command of my decision. Whatever the high command decides, I will follow it,” she told a news agency on Monday.

Pratibha Singh had won the seat thrice, including in the 2021 bypoll. Her family has strong influence in the Assembly segments of Rampur (Shimla), Bharmour (Chamba), Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti, which form part of the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

Meanwhile, her son and PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh praised Kangana as an actor but said fulltime politics was an altogether different cup of tea.