In HP's Mandi, BJP MP faces tough fight from Congress to retain the 4 seats

As the battle in the state intensified, Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the fray

The pine hilltops may be covered with snow but the political temperature in Himachal Pradesh has risen with the BJP fighting to retain the four seats it won in 2014 in this land of apple, apricot, and cherry orchards which it currently governs.  

Of the four seats, Mandi is the one that could be decisive. The BJP’s sitting MP, Ram Swaroop Sharma, is facing a tough challenge from Congress. Former Congress union telecom minister Sukh Ram's grandson, Ashray Sharma, has emerged as a strong Congress candidate. 

It’s believed he lobbied hard for a BJP ticket initially in Mandi which has been a