The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued a notice to Kangana Ranaut, the BJP MP from Mandi, following a petition challenging her election victory. The petition, filed by Kinnaur resident Layak Ram Negi, claims that his nomination papers were unfairly rejected, which he argues prevented him from contesting the election.
Petition Challenges Kangana Ranaut’s Mandi Victory, Court Demands Response
Justice Jyotsna Rewal directed Ranaut to respond to the petition by August 21. Negi, who sought to run against Ranaut, alleges that the Deputy Commissioner of Mandi, serving as the returning officer, wrongly dismissed his nomination papers. He had initially submitted a “no dues certificate” from the forest department but was later asked to provide additional certificates from the electricity, water, and telephone departments. Although Negi provided these additional documents, his nomination was still rejected.
Negi contends that had his nomination been accepted, he might have won the election, and he is now requesting that Ranaut's election be annulled. Ranaut had secured a significant victory in the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, defeating Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh by a margin of 74,755 votes.
Actor Kangana Ranaut has made a strong entry into politics. In her electoral debut, emerged victorious from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Ranaut defeated Vikramaditya Singh of the Congress by a margin of 72,088 votes. The actor has now proudly shared her new MP identity card.
Kangana Ranaut Flaunts Her 'New Identity' As An MP
On June 8, Ranaut posted a photo on her Instagram Stories, captioning it, "New identity, new identity card." The photo shows her flaunting her MP identity card while wearing a baby blue saree, minimal makeup, a bindi, and earrings.
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After the poll results were out, actor Anupam Kher shared a video collage on Instagram on June 4, late at night, featuring pictures of Kangana from her recent campaigns. In his caption, he congratulated her on her significant victory, calling her a "rockstar" and highlighting her inspirational journey. He expressed his happiness for her and the people of Mandi and Himachal Pradesh. He added that her success is a testament to hard work and focus.
Kangana Ranaut Wins From Himachal Pradesh's Mandi
Following her victory on June 4, Kangana Ranaut tweeted, "Heartfelt gratitude to all Mandi residents for this support, this love, and this trust 🙏🏻. This victory is of all of you, this is the victory of faith in Prime Minister Modi and BJP, this is the victory of Sanatan, this is the victory of the honour of Mandi."
On June 4, Ranaut stated in an interview with ANI, "We fought this election in the name of Narendra Modi," during a press conference. We are going to create the government for the third time as a result of his legitimacy, his assurance, and the people's faith in him.
Early Leads
The actor resorted to X at 1:00 PM on June 4, to share her morning routine after early trends showed her leading the electoral ballet against Congress's Vikramaditya Singh.
Mandi is one of the four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh and consists of 17 Assembly segments. Historically, this constituency has been a stronghold for Congress. The Mandi Lok Sabha seat has seen significant political activity over the years. BJP's Ram Swaroop Sharma won the seat in both 2014 and 2019, with vote shares of 49.97% and 68.75%, respectively. However, Sharma's untimely demise on March 17, 2021, led to a by-election. Pratibha Singh, Vikramaditya Singh’s mother, won the seat on a Congress ticket in November 2021.
Kangana Ranaut’s Political Journey
Kangana Ranaut has been a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for several years. However, she officially joined the party earlier this year when her candidature for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat was announced. In a social media post on March 24, Ranaut expressed her excitement and gratitude for being chosen as the BJP candidate from her birthplace, Mandi.
"My beloved Bharat and Bharatiya Janta's party, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), has always had my unconditional support. Today, the national leadership of the BJP has announced me as their Lok Sabha candidate from my birthplace, Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency). I abide by the high command’s decision on contesting the Lok Sabha polls. I feel honoured and elated to officially join the party. I look forward to being a worthy karyakarta and a reliable public servant. Thanks," Ranaut wrote.
Family and Political Background
Ranaut comes from a family with a political background. Her great-grandfather, Sarju Singh Ranaut, was an MLA. Her mother, Asha Ranaut, retired as a schoolteacher from Mandi, while her father, Amardeep Ranaut, is a businessman. Asha Ranaut mentioned that the family initially supported the Congress but shifted allegiance to the BJP due to Kangana's influence.
Campaigning and Controversies
During her campaign in Mandi, Ranaut sparked controversy on social media by claiming that India became truly independent only in 2014 and expressing her desire for India to become a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.
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