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Upbeat Vikramaditya Singh invokes father Virbhadra’s work as he begins campaign in Mandi
The son of six-time Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh , Vikramaditya is locked in a high-profile battle with BJP’s Kangana Ranaut from Mandi
Congress candidate from Mandi Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday invoked his father Virbhadra Singh and his “impactful” work in Mandi and Himachal at large as he kicked-off his Lok Sabha campaign from Chail Chowk.
“When the party high command told me to contest the election from Mandi, I did not hesitate. As the son of Virbhadra Singh, I am not one to shy away from any political challenge. We will contest with all our strength,” he said while addressing a gathering.
Upbeat, Vikramaditya, who is locked in a high-profile battle with Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Kangana Ranaut, said he was not worried about his opponent and was instead moving forward with his vision for Mandi and Himachal Pradesh.
Deserving himself as a “family member” who had come to seek the locals’ blessings, the leader said, “We are not here just to contest; we are here to win. I am not saying this out of ego, but based on the tireless efforts of Virbhadra Singh and our senior leaders who have nurtured the Congress party in Mandi and across Himachal.”
“Virbhadra Singh, a six-time chief minister, Pandit Sukh Ram, former MP from Mandi, and Pratibha Singh, who is serving as the current MP for the third term, have collectively spearheaded developmental projects worth thousands of crores in the Mandi region,” he said.
Hits back at Kangana
Hitting back at Ranaut, Vikramaditya said, “The BJP candidate’s claim that Congress is anti-Hindu is unfounded. While we respect Kangana Ranaut, I urge her to delve into the history of India and Himachal Pradesh before making such statements. She should be aware that Himachal was the first state to bring an anti-conversion law in 2005 under the Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh.”
“Besides, it was during Virbhadra Singh’s tenure that the tradition of presenting nazrana to deities during Kullu Dussehra in Himachal Pradesh was initiated,” he added.
Meanwhile, Congress’ state unit president and sitting Mandi MP Pratibha Singh has also hit the campaign trail for her son from Rampur assembly constituency. She also held public meetings with party workers.
