Kangana Misfires During Election Rally, Targets BJP’s Tejasvi Surya Instead Of RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav – News18

Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, in a recent political rally, inadvertently targeted her BJP colleague Tejasvi Surya after she mistook him for RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. Ranaut’s remarks, aimed at what she termed a “party of spoilt princes,” included a dig at Surya for alleged hooliganism and fish consumption.

However, Tejashwi Yadav was the intended recipient of her criticism, particularly regarding a recent video depicting him eating fish, which became a contentious issue between the BJP and the opposition. Tejasvi Surya, BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Bengaluru South, was inaccurately singled out during the rally.

Ranaut, since her nomination by the BJP as their candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, has been vocally critical of the Congress party, targeting Congress leaders like Vikramaditya Singh and Rahul Gandhi. During a public address in Sundernagar, within the Mandi Parliamentary Constituency, Ranaut continued her criticism of Congress leaders, alleging their focus on impractical issues and reliance on dynastic lineage for political clout.

The upcoming Mandi Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for June 1 in the seventh phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, highlight the intensifying political climate in the region. At a recent poll rally in Manali, Ranaut indirectly attacked Rahul Gandhi and Vikramaditya Singh by saying there is one “Bada Pappu” in Delhi and a “Chhota Pappu”. Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya, a scion of the erstwhile Rampur estate, is her challenger from the Mandi Parliament seat. He is son of six-time chief minister late Virbhadra Singh and the current state Congress president Pratibha Singh.

This row comes as Kangana has been maintaining a distance from the media during the campaign but has been welcoming to common voters. She has so far been concentrating on small gatherings and roadshows, where people first try to get a glimpse of her from close quarters and then potentially get clicked with the “Queen” star. Selfies and group photos with the actor are in vogue as it is the first time a celebrity is contesting elections in Himachal Pradesh. Videos of Ranaut, who hails from Mandi, dancing with local women and sweeping temple premises during her campaign have gone viral. She is often seen interacting with her prospective voters in their dialects and stresses that she is a daughter of Mandi.

(With agency inputs)

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