njecting star power into its election campaign in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday unveiled Bollywood’s “Queen” Kangana Ranaut as its candidate for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming polls slated for June 1. The move added a significant spotlight to the saffron party's electoral lineup. Alongside, the party has put forward Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj as its nominee for the Kangra constituency, supplanting the incumbent MP Kishan Kapoor.
With these announcements, the BJP has now finalized candidates for all four parliamentary constituencies in the state. BJP had previously named Union Minister Anurag Thakur as its candidate for Hamirpur and Suresh Kashyap for Shimla, consolidating its formidable roster for the impending elections.
Kangana’s nomination didn't catch political pundits off guard. The acclaimed actor, known for her admiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had been dropping hints about venturing into politics for over two years. Notably, she graced the consecration of the Ram temple, further signaling her political inclination.
Party insiders said that Kangana’s selection was a logical move, considering her roots in Mandi district, where she was born. Her family’s political lineage, with her great-grandfather Sarju Singh Ranaut serving as an MLA, adds weight to her candidacy. Her mother, Asha Ranaut, retired as a schoolteacher in Mandi; while her father Amardeep, is a respected businessman. Notably, Kangana’s family transitioned from the Congress to BJP — a shift attributed to her influence.
The timing of Kangana’s nomination, a day after her 37th birthday on March 23, added a symbolic touch. To mark the occasion, the actor paid visits to the Baglamukhi and Jwala Devi temples in Himachal Pradesh, showcasing her spiritual and regional connections.
The nomination also quelled any speculation about Kangana’s potential candidacy from Chandigarh, where she pursued her education.
Mandi Lok Sabha seat has witnessed significant electoral activity from 2009 to 2021, with three general elections and two by-elections. Despite Congress’s historical dominance, BJP has made substantial inroads, securing victory in 2014 and 2019, with Ram Swaroop Sharma as the MP. However, Sharma’s untimely demise in 2021 led to a by-election win for Congress’ Pratibha Singh. Presently, out of the four Lok Sabha seats, BJP holds three, underscoring its stronghold in the region.
In Kangra, the BJP has chosen Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj as its nominee — a stalwart in the party's ranks and the current state vice-president of BJP. With a longstanding association with the BJP, Dr Bhardwaj has shouldered diverse responsibilities within the party, showcasing his commitment and leadership. Notably, he also served as the president of the Kangra Cooperative Bank during the previous government.
Hailing from Kangra originally, Dr Bhardwaj is also a dedicated private practitioner, reflecting his deep-rooted connection to the region and its people.
BJP’s Second List Out; Fields Naveen Jindal From Kurukshetra
Hours after he switched loyalties towards the BJP, Congress’ former MP Naveen Jindal’s name appeared in the second list of candidates released by the BJP on Sunday evening. Also joining the BJP in the afternoon, Haryana Cabinet Minister and independent MLA Ranjit Chautala also made way in the list, declared by the saffron party in the evening announcing candidates for four seats in Haryana, apart from several other states. Among them, prominent was industrialist and former Congress MP Naveen Jindal’s nomination from Kurukshetra, and Chautala from Hisar.
BJP’s sitting MP Dr Arvind Kumar Sharma will seek re-election from Rohtak; while BJP leader Mohan Lal Badoli has been nominated from Sonepat. Dr Arvind Sharma, who was earlier in Congress party, had joined BJP and contested from Rohtak in 2019 and defeated Deepender Hooda of Congress with a margin of 7,503 votes.
“Like Naveen Jindal has joined BJP in Delhi, Ranjit Chautala, who is a minister in the Haryana government and an Independent, has also joined BJP in Sirsa…We welcome these two new members in the BJP fold,” said BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde.
Jindal, after joining BJP, said: “I represented the Congress party in the Parliament as MP from Kurukshetra for 10 years. I thank the Congress leadership and the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Today, I am resigning from the primary membership of the Congress party.”
Holding the position of chairman at Jindal Steel and Power (JSP), he is also the founding chancellor of OP Jindal Global University, which is ranked as the top private university in India according to the QS World University Rankings 2023.
Industrialist Jindal served as a member of parliament for the Kurukshetra constituency in the Lok Sabha for a decade — from 2004 to 2014. However, he faced defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections against BJP's Raj Kumar Saini. Subsequently, in the 2019 elections, the Congress party chose not to field him as a candidate.
Earlier on March 13, BJP had announced its first list of six candidates for Haryana. Former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been nominated from Karnal; sitting MP Rao Inderjit Singh from Gurugram, former Congress leader Ashok Tanwar from Sirsa, sitting MP Krisan Pal Gurjar from Faridabad, sitting MP Dharamveer Singh from Mahendragarh-Bhiwani, former MP Rattan Lal Kataria’s widow Banto Kataria from Ambala.
