Kangana Ranaut's Bollywood Buzz Won't Work In Himachal: Vikramaditya Singh

Vikramaditya Singh is Congress' Lok Sabha candidate from the Mandi constituency, facing BJP's Kangana Ranaut.

Vikramaditya Singh is Congress' Mandi candidate, facing Kangana Ranaut.

(Aroop Mishra/ The Quint) 

Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Bollywood buzz’ won’t work in Himachal Pradesh, says Congress' Vikramaditya Singh, who is facing the actor-turned-politician in a heated contest for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Singh, 34, is presently an MLA and a sitting minister in the Himachal Pradesh government. In an exclusive interview with The Quint, Singh said he doesn’t care for the BJP candidate, and is focused on local issues. “I am not interested in who the candidate is, or what the media buzz around the candidate is. I am focused on the issues of the youth, women and infrastructure related issues of the state,” he said.

“Yes, because my opponent is a Bollywood entity, a lot of media is coming here from all over. But the glamour and buzz is beyond the electorate of Himachal Pradesh, and won’t play a role, that I am sure of,” Singh said.

Mandi votes along with the rest of Himachal Pradesh in the final phase on 1 June.

'Congress Leadership Appreciated Me For Visiting Ram Temple'

Singh, who is the son of former 6-time CM of Himachal Pradesh, late Virbhadra Singh, said he has always tried to maintain good relations with the center.

“My ideology is that of nationalism. I care for national interest first, then state interest, and then party ideology,” he said.

Singh was the only Congress minister to have been invited to attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. Singh said he went out of his personal belief.

“I went to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in my personal capacity. And no one stopped me. I am a proud Hindu and a proud Sanatani,” he said.

In the last few months, there have been a spate of resignations in the Congress party, with two national spokespersons—Gaurav Vallabh and Radhika Khera—joining the BJP and accusing Congress of their “anti Ram Temple stand. Khera, in fact, said that after she visited the Ram Temple on her own accord, she began facing mistreatment in the Congress. Singh denied facing any backlash by the party leadership.

“The party had not disallowed anyone from going to the Ram Temple...In fact when I returned, I met the party leadership and they said ‘you did a good thing by going’. So I didn’t face any such thing (backlash) ,” Singh said.

Further, Singh also criticised the BJP for trying to “divide society on the lines of religion.”

“I am very saddened to see that the honourable PM is targeting a particularly community in public meetings. The country is made up of people from all faiths. Yes, the majority are Hindu. But we have people from all faiths in the country and every person has equal right on the resources of the country," Singh said.

He was referring to PM Modi's speeches, where he said that the Congress plans on redistributing wealth to Muslims and referred to them as "those who produce many children."

"For the PM to speaking this way about one section is absolutely deplorable. For him to be saying something like this, shows the intellectual bankruptcy the BJP is facing today...which is why in the final phase, all these communal issues are being brought up,” Singh said.

The minister also criticised BJP’s Himachal Pradesh leader and cabinet minister Anurag Thakur for the same. Thakur had said in a speech that, the Congress “wants to give your children's property to Muslims, finish the nations nuclear weapons, divide the nation on casteism and regionalism.”

Singh also said that Hinduism and Hindutva are different things. “I have always tried to break and counter this model of Hindutva that the BJP presents,” Singh said.

"I Call A Spade A Spade...But Will Never Leave Congress"

Singh had resigned from the Congress government in late February, just months ahead of the polls. Singh had criticised the functioning of the government and the CM, but had taken back his resignation soon after. He was subsequently awarded the Mandi Lok Sabha ticket.

Speaking on his resignation, Singh said, “I always call a spade a spade. I have been brought up in such an environment by my father. If I saw some shortcomings in the functioning of the government, I am responsible to the people of the state, so I showed my resentment. So I am thankful to the central leadership and the CM for hearing me out, and due measures were taken, which is why I decided to continue.” 

On the rumours of him quitting Congress and joining BJP which were floating a few months back, Singh said “there is no question of that happening. My ideology is the ideology of the Congress party. But yes, if there are some shortcomings, they have to be brought to light. This is not like BJP where one person calls the shots and everyone follows. We are a democratic party,” he said.  
 
“I have stated on record that I was sent feelers from the BJP, but my ideology is that of the Congress so I will continue to be in the party through thick and thin,” he added.