MANDI: Vikramaditya Singh, the present scion of erstwhile  Bushair kingdom, officially threw his hat into the ring for the Mandi parliamentary seat. He termed his nomination as his Sankalp for a game-changing  brighter future of Mandi and Himachal, shaking up the political scenario of Himachal Pradesh. 

Vikramaditya Singh's nomination was viral on social media as the chock-a-block temple town of Mandi  went into an orgy of slogans, 'Dekho, Dekho Kaun Aaya, Sher Aaya, Sher Aaya'.  

Standing tall amidst the historic backdrop of the Seri Manch of Mandi,  known as Choti Kashi, Singh vowed to translate his vision of Mandi, a heart of the constituency, into a reality, sparking a firestorm of excitement among  Congress  supporters, who zeroed in on this temple town  here in a bigvwsy on  support of their young leader dreaming big.

The energy at the Seri Manch was electrifying, with supporters streaming in from every nook and cranny of the Mandi constituency, including Mandi district, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Rampur, Pangi, and Bharmour.

The sheer magnitude of the wily  crowd made Congress incharge Rajiv Shukla to declare that he did not see this kind of energy and josh in rallies and Vikramaditya Singh has  won the election today itself.

He urged party workers to take out voters and vote for the Congress, young and educated leader, who would be their  true representative  in Lok Sabha.

Drawing from the rich political legacy of his late father and six-time CM, Raja Virbhadra Singh, Vikramaditya Singh articulated a vision deeply rooted in the soil of Mandi, spanning over six decades of familial ties to the region that left no stone unturned for development of Mandi opening up new opportunities for the people, mainly the youth.

He also invoked legacy of late Pt Sukh Ram, and applauded his contribution to development. 

"We stood up by people of Mandi in good or bad time, whether we were in power or out of power, whether won won or lost the elections", he said.

"We will continue to do so. Our government stood by distressed families of Mandi, Kullu, including Bhambla Sarkaghat  during the natural disaster and restored the snapped bridges and road connectivity in a record time",  Vikramaditya Singh said. 

It was due to his tough bargaining power that they brought in funds though Himachal needs much more, he said.

But ask Kangana, where was she at the time when worst ever disaster hit Himachal, mainly Mandi and Kullu, Singh appealed to the voters. 

"The largest share of disaster fund was given to Seraj, home segment of Jai Ram Thakur, Leader of Opposition and its MLA".     

"This only showed we work for people and are above petty politics that BJP is in", Singh said.  

Dressed up in a white kurta-pyjama supporting his trademark  flowery Bushairi cap with hues of Kullu,Mandi, Kinnaur,Lahauli,Panwali cap, Vikramaditya looks all charged up with energy exuding charm and self confidence.

He invoked his Kul Devi Bhima Kali, Devis and Devtas in his speech and raised Jai Sri Ram to electrify the crowd. He is a proud devotee of Lord Ram as he happened to be the only leader from Himachal,who was invited to Ayodhya  for the epochal Pran Pratishta of Lord Ram Mandir.      

His pledged to carry forward this legacy resonated deeply with the assembled crowd, galvanizing them into action to make Mandi and entire Dev Bhoomi more prosperous. cutting across regional and caste lines.

Singh didn't pull any punches when addressing his political adversaries, particularly taking aim at BJP's Mandi candidate, Kangana Ranaut.

He called her 'Badi Bahan' and Bollywood star who appeared here for "a month long shooting session roaming without spelling her vision for Mandi". 

"Either she heaped praises on PM Modi or she spew venom  on personal life or talked negative about him", he charged.  

But when viewed her negative posts on social media, commenting on personal life, she should not live in an illusion as they have also enough arsenal  in their kitty to expose her, he warned.  

"But we believe in positive politics  and inclusive growth of all areas, all regions of Himachal Pradesh", Vikramaditya said.     

With a rallying cry that reverberated throughout the temple town, Singh dared his opponents to prove their mettle as true champions of the people.

In his plainspoken address, Singh outlined his vision for a Himachal Pradesh where opportunity knocks on every door. Mandi town will be a smart city with river water front and tamed Beas river.

He affirmed to speed up the tunnel projects-  Joginder Nagar-Kullu tunnel, Kullu Jalori Pass tunnel, Bharmaur-Pangi tunnel-  to improve connectivity that will usher into a new saga of tourism and trade in the region.  

He underscored the importance of inclusive growth and promised to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every resident of the state has a fair shot at success.

As the dust settles on this electrifying event, all eyes are now trained on Vikramaditya Singh as he sets out on a journey to represent the aspirations of the people of Mandi on the national stage. 

Congress leaders claimed,  with momentum being  firmly on his side and the support of the masses behind him, Singh is poised to carve out a new path forward for Himachal Pradesh in Lok Sabha.

CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu echoed the sentiment, stating, 'The divine-like devotion of the people of Mandi towards Mr. Vikramaditya Singh solidifies their choice for him as their representative.'  

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri declared, 'The overwhelming presence of the people of Mandi is a testament to their unwavering commitment to Congress.' 

PCC president and his mother  Pratibha Singh  said the public gathering has sent a clear and forceful message: Mandi stands firmly behind Congress".  

All the Congress leaders including cabinet minister Jagat Negi, Kaul Singh Thakur, Rangila Ram Rao, MLAs Sunder Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Gaur, Chander Shekhar, Sohan Lal Thakur, Parkash Chaudhary, Dharampal and others threw their might behind Singh's nomination and made to a big show of unity daring the BJP to prove its mettle. 

All eyes are on how Congress builds up its campaign for a bigger kill on June 1 when the over 55.56 lakh voters including 16 lkh from Mandi Lok Sabha constituency will vote!.