This huge constituency, the toughest and covering almost two-thirds of the state, saw a clash of legacy and stardom.
Earlier, the seat was represented by Vikramaditya's mother Pratibha Singh, who hails from the former royal family of Keonthal state. He is a three-time MP from Mandi.
She refused to re-enter the fray and said that senior party leaders had proposed Vikramaditya's name because they were of the opinion that "he is young, energetic and a good orator with influence on the youth and a good replacement for Kangana." There will be competitors”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Mandi, talked about the aspirations of the youth and the importance of women empowerment.
“Congress has not yet reached the 21st century.While people are progressing, Congress is moving in the opposite direction. It is moving towards the 20th century. The Congress royal family is strictly against daughters. The entire Congress is deeply anti-women. But for my family in Himachal, listen to me carefully and educate your daughters well,'' he said.Political observers told IANS that Kangana, who hails from the hill state, has an edge over Vikramaditya, largely dependent on her rich family political legacy, as she had started her election campaign much earlier than her main arch rival.
During the election campaign, there was a war of words between them which turned personal, such as "Chhota Pappu" and "Beef eater".
Two-time MLA Vikramaditya, 35, who described Kangana, 37, as his "elder sister", is the Public Works Minister in the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu-led state government, while Kangana made her political debut.
Mandi is the home district of BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur, the first Chief Minister of Himachal from Mandi.
He remained with Kangana in most of the election meetings and during campaigning.Thakur, who contested the assembly elections in 1998 and has won all six consecutive assembly elections since then by huge margins, lost the 2013 Mandi parliamentary by-election to Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh by 1.36 lakh votes.
Kangana is a resident of Bhambla village near Hamirpur town, about 200 km from the state capital Shimla.
He has a cottage in the picturesque tourist spot of Manali, which is part of the Mandi parliamentary constituency.
In her election rallies, former chief minister Thakur, whose focus was to ensure victory of the Mandi seat, has often been quoted as saying: "Kangana is the daughter of Mandi, which is called Chhoti Kashi. She has brought glory to Himachal and Market in the film industry.,
Historically, the Mandi constituency has supported the descendants of the former princely states, electing "royals" in 13 out of 19 elections, including two by-elections, since 1952.
In the 2021 Mandi by-election, necessitated by the death of Ram Swaroop Sharma, the BJP had fielded Brigadier Khushal Thakur (retd), a decorated officer who played a key role in the 1999 Kargil war, against Pratibha Singh, who won the seat by a landslide .In the wave of sympathy after the demise of her husband Virbhadra Singh.
Earlier, the seat was represented by Vikramaditya's mother Pratibha Singh, who hails from the former royal family of Keonthal state. He is a three-time MP from Mandi.
She refused to re-enter the fray and said that senior party leaders had proposed Vikramaditya's name because they were of the opinion that "he is young, energetic and a good orator with influence on the youth and a good replacement for Kangana." There will be competitors”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Mandi, talked about the aspirations of the youth and the importance of women empowerment.
“Congress has not yet reached the 21st century.While people are progressing, Congress is moving in the opposite direction. It is moving towards the 20th century. The Congress royal family is strictly against daughters. The entire Congress is deeply anti-women. But for my family in Himachal, listen to me carefully and educate your daughters well,'' he said.Political observers told IANS that Kangana, who hails from the hill state, has an edge over Vikramaditya, largely dependent on her rich family political legacy, as she had started her election campaign much earlier than her main arch rival.
During the election campaign, there was a war of words between them which turned personal, such as "Chhota Pappu" and "Beef eater".
Two-time MLA Vikramaditya, 35, who described Kangana, 37, as his "elder sister", is the Public Works Minister in the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu-led state government, while Kangana made her political debut.
Mandi is the home district of BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur, the first Chief Minister of Himachal from Mandi.
He remained with Kangana in most of the election meetings and during campaigning.Thakur, who contested the assembly elections in 1998 and has won all six consecutive assembly elections since then by huge margins, lost the 2013 Mandi parliamentary by-election to Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh by 1.36 lakh votes.
Kangana is a resident of Bhambla village near Hamirpur town, about 200 km from the state capital Shimla.
He has a cottage in the picturesque tourist spot of Manali, which is part of the Mandi parliamentary constituency.
In her election rallies, former chief minister Thakur, whose focus was to ensure victory of the Mandi seat, has often been quoted as saying: "Kangana is the daughter of Mandi, which is called Chhoti Kashi. She has brought glory to Himachal and Market in the film industry.,
Historically, the Mandi constituency has supported the descendants of the former princely states, electing "royals" in 13 out of 19 elections, including two by-elections, since 1952.
In the 2021 Mandi by-election, necessitated by the death of Ram Swaroop Sharma, the BJP had fielded Brigadier Khushal Thakur (retd), a decorated officer who played a key role in the 1999 Kargil war, against Pratibha Singh, who won the seat by a landslide .In the wave of sympathy after the demise of her husband Virbhadra Singh.
