Vikramaditya Singh pins hopes on connect with Mandi voters

Shimla, April 13

It’s going to be Vikramaditya Singh, 34, versus Kangana Ranaut in the Mandi parliamentary constituency.

Royal fortress

• Vikramaditya’s family has a long association with Mandi parliamentary constituency
• His father and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, had contested four times from Mandi and won thrice
• His mother Pratibha Singh contested five times from the seat and won thrice

Given the long association of Vikramaditya Singh’s family with the Mandi parliamentary seat and his connect with youth, the battle for the seat is going to be intense and interesting. A two-time MLA from Shimla rural assembly constituency and the PWD Minister in the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government, Vikramaditya Singh has been chosen ahead of his mother and state Congress president Pratibha Singh, the sitting MP from this constituency, to take on Kangana Ranaut, who is making her debut in the electoral politics from this seat.

Above everything, Singh will bank on the long association of his family with the people of this constituency. His father Virbhadra Singh, the six-time Chief Minister of the state, contested four times from Mandi and won thrice. His mother Pratibha Singh contested five times from the seat and won thrice. “We don’t have just political connect with the people of the Mandi Parliamentary constituency but also an emotional connect,” Singh had said a few days back when he was asked whether he was ready to contest from the seat.

Vikramaditya Singh first entered the Legislative Assembly in 2017 from Shimla rural constituency. He won again in 2022 from the same constituency, and was inducted in the council of ministers as the PWD Minister. It’s the first time he is contesting the parliamentary elections.

After his name was finalized today, Vikramaditya reiterated that there was no doubt that the Congress will win the Mandi parliamentary seat. “It doesn’t matter who our opponent is. Our aim is to win the seat,” he said.