Kangana Ranaut’s Mandi candidature upsets ex-servicemen

Mandi, March 28

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The Ex-servicemen League is irked after the BJP fielded Kangana Ranaut as it’s candidate from the Mandi parliamentary constituency.

Chairman of the league, Col GS Shahi, said, “When the BJP declared actor Kangana Ranaut the party candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, it gave us a big jolt. We were hopeful that the BJP will give the ticket to Brig Khushal Thakur (retd), a Kargil War hero, who was the main contender for the ticket from Mandi. He lost the byelection by a narrow margin of votes.”

“The party ticket was given to a person who has made no contribution for the people of Mandi. When a major rain disaster occurred in Himachal Pradesh, Kangana showed no empathy towards the affected people and did not visit Mandi during the challenging times,” he remarked.

“We are hopeful that the BJP will reconsider its decision and give the party ticket to Brig Thakur,” said Shahi.

When contacted, Brig Khushal Thakur said, “I support the decision of the party.”

“Ex-servicemen are connected with me emotionally because I spent my life with them and hence, they raised this issue. In the last byelection of the Mandi seat, all veterans, serving soldiers, their families and common people had supported me above their party ideology.