Known for courting controversies with her odd statements, actor Kangana Ranaut, BJP’s candidate from Mandi for the LS polls, is on the party radar and efforts are on to keep her under check till the elections are over.
From strict instructions asking her to stick to one-line statements and focus instead on issues like the work of the Modi government and women empowerment to lists of media outlets that can interview her and senior leaders who would accompany her during programmes, the BJP is taking a host of measures to shield Kangana from controversies.
She has got specific instructions on what she should speak about in the media and that she should not speak about anything else, even if the media asks other questions. The state BJP unit has been given specific instructions to seek approvals for her programmes ‘directly’ from the central leadership to ensure no “unwanted comments” are made by her.
It has also been learnt that a number of local party functionaries are unhappy with a “parachute” candidate being fielded from Mandi, and some have been maintaining a distance from programmes organised for her.
Among the claimants from the seat is senior local BJP leader Ajay Rana who remained a ticket contender from the Mandi Lok Sabha segment throughout his political career.
The BJP has similarly been on guard since last week after Kangana Ranaut called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “ansh” (descendant) of the Hindu deity Ram during a public meeting at Sarkaghat in Mandi district, drawing sharp reactions on social media. Insiders believe at a time when the party is focusing on the Ram Mandir construction as one of its major poll planks, making such statements will only give ammunition to the Opposition.
The BJP wants her to highlight issues related to women in a manner that resonates across the country because she is a national figure. Her one casual statement can affect the focus of this election.
The party, for now, is hand-holding her and ensuring senior leaders, including former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur, accompany her during public interactions.
Wearing a Himachali cap, Kangana Ranaut is often spotted wooing Mandi voters by speaking in the local Mandyali dialect. The BJP central leadership has asked the state unit to keep the focus on her local Himachali identity by amplifying the “Himachal ki beti” tag.
There is also a fear among state BJP leaders that most of the state unit and its functionaries may get involved in ensuring the success of Kangana’s programmes while ignoring other constituencies. At the same time, the BJP, it is learnt, is also trying to pacify a number of disgruntled leaders at the state level.
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