Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today said, film star and BJP candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranuat is finding it difficult to get crowds in her election meetings and her Congress rival minister Vikramaditya Singh may win.
Replying to question at India TV’s day-long conclave Chunav Manch here, Sukhu refused to predict how many seats Congress would win from Himachal Pradesh. “Our election date in June 1, and it is in the last phase. I cannot predict right now. The voting percentage on polling day will be crucial.”
On Kangana’s claim that saffron (bhagwa) will flutter across Himachal this time, Sukhu replied: “How much does Kangana ‘Bechari’ knows about ‘bhagwa’? The reality is, she came from film industry, got the ticket, and in a few days, when she will travel up the hills to meet villagers, she may get a good jogging exercise. Naturally, when election issues will come up, our candidates are in a good situation. There are several actors from Himachal in film and TV serial industry, so our people do not take much notice of the stars. At some places, Kangana is not getting crowds in her meetings.”
When it was pointed out that Kangana was BJP’s star campaigner, Sukhu replied: “She may be star campaigner for you, but people there in Himachal know everything. She is carrying her party’s ideology, and is chanting “400 paar” slogan. It reminds of my college days, when CPI(M) student wing SFI students used to put posters on “10 pc budget for education”, which they are still posting today. These are standing slogans. Kangana has been taught to chant this “400 paar” slogan. Till now, BJP is yet to announce 400 candidates, and some of the candidates have been fielded symbolically”.
On Congress party’s poor show in the last two LS elections, the chief minister said, “the party is going through a transitional phase. We governed the country for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. Even today Congress is the principal opposition party. Let us not go through numbers, we should look at the party’s ideology and its presence among the people."
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