PremiumHimachal Pradesh Election 2022 Result LIVE Updates: Congress has surged ahead of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. The grand old party is leading on 38 out of the 68 seats
The counting of votes for the Himachal Pradesh election 2022 result has kicked off on Thursday. The main contenders in the HP election 2022 are the BJP and the Congress. The hilly state has 68 seats and the halfway mark is 35. The Congress has surged ahead of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh assembly elections. The grand old party has won in 40 out of 68 seats. Further BJP has won 23 seats and is ahead on 2 seats. Himachal Pradesh has not returned any incumbent government to power in the last nearly four decades. And, for Congress, the victory in Himachal is much-needed for its revival, as it has seen a spate of electoral losses in the last few years.
The result for Himachal Pradesh polls 2022 was declared today (Thursday), stay tuned with Livemint to catch all the Himachal Pradesh election 2022 result LIVE Updates.
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According to a PTI report, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls will see only one female MLA in the new government. The performance of female candidates in the 12 November Assembly elections was at best dismal.
The new 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly will have just one woman MLA.
The BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress had fielded six, five and three women candidates, but only Reena Kashyap of BJP won the election. Out of 24 female candidates in the fray, one emerged victorious.
Kashyap, who had won Pachhad (SC) assembly bypoll in 2021, managed to retain her seat, the PTI report stated. In 2017, four women candidates had managed to win the assembly elections.
Congress workers celebrate outside AICC office in Delhi as party wins
The erstwhile royals of Himachal Pradesh who once commanded their own space in politics are losing their charm as only two of them have won in the hill state this time while two others lost at the hustings.
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh, who belongs to Rampur Bushahr's erstwhile royal family, won with a big margin of 13,860 votes from Shimla rural, while Anirudh Singh of the erstwhile royal family of Koti, won from Kasumpti assembly seat.
On the other hand, former minister and six-time MLA Asha Kumari lost the elections from her Dalhousie seat this time. She lost by a margin of 9,918 votes.
Another erstwhile royal of Kullu, Hiteshwar Singh, who ran as an independent, also lost from the Banjar assembly seat. He got 14,932 votes against the winner BJP's Surender Shourie's 24,241 votes and Congress' Khimi Ram's 19,963 votes.
With the Congress emerging victorious in Himachal Pradesh, state party president Pratibha Singh is considered a key frontrunner for the chief minister's post, closely followed by former party chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and outgoing CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri.
Deciding on the chief ministerial face who can bind the party going forward is the immediate challenge for the Congress.
Himachal Pradesh Congress MLAs have been asked to stay in Shimla itself, amid buzz of horse trading by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Observers Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Hooda and In-charge Rajeev Shukla are likely to meet the MLAs in Shimla tomorrow, 9 December
Won Leading Total
Congress 40 0 40
BJP 25 0 25
Independent 3 0 3
Total 61 0 68
Vote Share
AAAP-1.10%
BJP- 42.99 %
BSP- 0.35%
CPI-0.01%
CPI(M)-0.66%
INC- 43.91%
NOTA- 0.59%
Other- 10.39%
Anti-incumbency and alternative government's selection were not the only reason for voters of Himachal Pradesh leaning towards Congress.
The apple growing northern state, whose lobby is dominated by people from the upper Himachal Pradesh, were sore at the lower prices given to it by the Adani Group. The profits of apple growers too declined post the rise of GST on cartons.
Read why BJP might have lost the Himachal Pradesh elections here
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted party supporters at BJP headquarters in Delhi after the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat Assembly election results were declared.
“I want to thank Election Commission for conducting elections peacefully. As far as I know, re-polling in any poll booth was not required. I also want to thank the voters of Himachal. The difference between the number of votes for BJP and Congress was less than 1%," PM Modi at BJP Headquarter
Former Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu won from Nadaun assembly seat in Hamirpur district on Thursday, defeating the BJP's Vijay Kumar Agnihotri by 3,363 votes.
Sukhu received 36,142 votes while Agnihotri polled 32,779 votes, according to the Election Commission. There were six contenders in the fray.
Nadaun became a hot seat in the assembly elections as Sukhu, who is seen as a chief minister contender, headed the Congress election campaign committee. Also, this was the fourth time that Agnihotri locked horns with him from the constituency.
In the 2017 elections, Sukhu defeated Agnihotri by 2,349 votes, while in 2012, Agnihotri got the better of the Congress leader by more than 6,000 votes. In 2007, Sukhu defeated Agnihotri by over 500 votes.
Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday thanked the voters of Himachal Pradesh and congratulated party workers on the Congress's return to power in the hill-state.
"Heartfelt thanks and greetings to the people of Himachal Pradesh for giving a mandate to the Indian National Congress. This is the victory of the resolution of the people of Himachal for progress. Best wishes to all the leaders and workers of the Congress party. Your hard work paid off," Priyanka said in a tweet.
Outgoing Chief Minister and BJP candidate Jai Ram Thakur won from Seraj seat, defeating Congress rival Chet Ram by huge margin of 38,183 votes.
Thakur tendered his resignation conceding defeat in the state with the latest trends predicting Congress is set to form government in Himachal Pradesh.
Outgoing Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur reached Raj Bhawan in Shimla to tender his resignation to Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
Thakur said that he would never stop working for the development of people and would go to Delhi if called.
With the Congress winning the Himachal Pradesh polls, its leaders on Thursday credited party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's campaign in the hill state for the good showing of the party in the assembly elections.
Priyanka Gandhi led the party's charge in Himachal Pradesh with several rallies and was also closely involved in strategy planning for the polls. Many leaders hailed her leadership in securing the win for the party and defeating the BJP's election machinery.
"Heartfelt thanks to the people of Himachal Pradesh for giving the mandate to the Indian National Congress. This victory is the victory of people's issues and their resolve to progress. Best wishes to all the leaders and workers of the Congress party. Your hard work paid off," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
Won Leading Total
Congress 39 1 40
BJP 19 6 25
Independent 3 0 3
Total 61 7 68
The Congress on Thursday wrested Himachal Pradesh from the BJP as it crossed the majority mark of 35 seats in the 68-member Assembly in the hill state which maintained its tradition of not voting any incumbent government to power since 1985.
In the latest results and trends available, the Congress won 39 seats and was leading in 1, while BJP registered a win on 18 seats and was leading in seven others. Three Independents also emerged victorious.
Aam Aadmi Party, which had contested on 67 seats, failed to open its account.
Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra has contributed in party's performance in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election result.
"We have won the Himachal elections. I want to thank the people, our workers and leaders as due to their efforts this result has come. I want to thank Priyanka Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra also helped us with this. Sonia Gandhi's blessings are also with us," Kharge told reporters.
"Our observers and in-charge secretaries are going there (Himachal Pradesh) and they will decide when to meet Governor and call a meeting of (Congress MLAs)," said the Congress chief.
BJP candidate D S Thakur defeated six-time Congress MLA Asha Kumari in Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie assembly seat by a margin of 9,918 votes, according to the Election Commission.
Asha Kumari was among the chief ministerial probables in Himachal Pradesh with trends showing the Congress surging ahead of the BJP on 39 of the total 68 seats in the hill state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to thank the people of Himachal Pradesh after a larger part of the counting suggested that Congress will form the government in the hilly state.
“I thank the people of Himachal Pradesh for the affection and support for the BJP. We will keep working to fulfil the aspirations of the state and raise people’s issues in the times to come." PM Modi wrote on Twitter
"It is a very emotional moment for me as I can see the same kind of support from people as it was for late Virbhadra Singh. Chandigarh is easily accessible meeting point for MLAs and we are not worried about poaching," Himachal Pradesh Congress president Pratibha V Singh was quoted by ANI as saying.
BJP tried to nip anti-incumbency in Himachal Pradesh by dropping 11 of its 44 MLAs, similar to its strategy in Gujarat. But, that boomeranged and led to a full-scale rebellion. Many of the rebels could not be pacified and it is being believed that it costed the party 10-odd seats – a crucial difference that may have caused it power. Three of their rebels, who were clearly front-runners right from the beginning, managed to win their seats.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is in Rajasthan for his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra expressed his ‘heartfelt thanks for the people of Himachal Pradesh’. Gandhi said, “Heartfelt thanks to people of Himachal Pradesh for decisive victory to Congress. I assure every promise made to people of Himachal Pradesh will be fulfilled at the earliest"
Veteran Congress leader Dhani Ram Shandil has retained his Solan seat in Himachal Pradesh, defeating his nearest BJP rival and son-in-law Rajesh Kashyap on Thursday.
Shandil defeated Kashyap by a margin of 3,858 votes.
News Agency ANI shared a video which showed the convoy of outgoing chief minister and BJP leader Jairam Thakur reach the Raj Bhavan to tender his resignation after Congress crossed the official majority mark of 35 in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.
“I have handed over my resignation to the Governor. Will never stop working for the development of people. We need to analyse things. There were some issues that changed the direction of the results. I will go to Delhi if they call us," Outgoing Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur
Government employees make 5% vote bank in the state and the introduction of the new pension scheme didn't go down too well with them. The Congress not only promised to re-introduce the Old Pension Scheme, but also showcased the fact that its Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel had already delivered the same in his state.
Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri wins Haroli seat, defeats BJP's Ram Kumar by 9,148 votes, according to Election Commission.
Chhattisgarh CM and senior leader of Congress, Bhupesh Baghel told reporters in Raipur, “High command will decide next Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. Priyanka Gandhi's 10-pointer manifesto worked there"
Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh retains seat from Shimla (Rural) by defeating his nearest rival Ravi Kumar Mehta of the BJP by 13,860 votes.
There were six candidates in fray from this seat.
Talking to media, Vikramaditya said the Congress is all set to form the government according to the poll trends and that the new dispensation will fulfil all the promises it made to the people.
Vikramaditya claimed that his father's legacy has helped the party get a clear mandate.
Replying to the possibility of MLA poaching, he said senior Congress leaders were in the state and that the party was united. "We will do everything to save our MLAs from poaching by the BJP," he added.
BJP rebel K L Thakur, who contested as an Independent, won from Nalagarh assembly seat in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, according to the Election Commission.
Thakur defeated his nearest Congress rival Hardeep Singh Bawa by a margin of 13,264 votes.
Thakur had won the 2012 state polls on a BJP ticket but lost in 2017 and was denied a ticket by the party this time.
The BJP chose Lakhwinder Singh Rana, a two-term Congress MLA, who jumped ship ahead of the elections.
All the three Independent candidates in the fray -- Thakur, Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur -- were BJP rebels.
According to a report by Republic TV, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP minister Devendra Fadnavis is meeting Independent candidates in Maharashtra's capital city Mumbai.
According to the ECI website, Independent candidates have won in three seats int he 68 assembly election that was held in the hilly state on 12 November.
Himachal Pradesh minister Sarveen Chaudhary lost from the Shahpur seat in Kangra. She was defeated by Congress candidate Kewal Singh Pathania by a margin of 12,243 votes.
The BJP had brought Vijay Singh Mankotia into the fold to brighten Chaudhary's winning prospects, but anti-incumbency still took a toll on the party.
According to the latest result status on Election Commission website Congress and BJP have now won 14 seats and is leading in 12 seats as counting continues.
Won Leading Total
Congress 24 15 39
BJP 14 12 26
Independent 3 0 3
According to news agency PTI, the grand old party- Congress has convened a meeting of all its newly-elected MLAs in Himachal Pradesh in Chandigarh after the declaration of results on Thursday, and the meet was likely to pass a resolution authorising the Congress president to elect the CLP leader.
"The newly-elected Congress MLAs would meet in Chandigarh post-election results and decide on electing the new legislature party leader," AICC in charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla told PTI.
People familiar with the development told PTI that at the meeting the MLAs are likely to pass a one-line resolution authorising the Congress president to decide the CLP leader.
"The party is sending two observers --Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and senior leader Bhupinder Hooda-- along with me. We will be travelling in some time to Chandigarh today where all the party MLAs have been called," Shukla said.
Outgoing Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Thursday conceded defeat as BJP is set to be ousted by Congress in the hilly state. Congress has crossed the majority mark of 35 as counting in the 68 assembly seat is still going on.
“I respect people's mandate and I want to thank PM & other central leadership during last 5 yrs. We'll stand for the development of the state irrespective of politics. We'll analyse our shortcoming and improve during the next term" Thakur said to news agency ANI.
Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur continues his lead from his constituency Seraj, with a margin of 38,183 votes. Counting continues.
The Congress is rushing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel who is also an observer for Himachal elections along with other senior leaders like Bhupinder Hooda and the party's Congress in-charge Rajiv Shukla to the hill state, where the party seems likely to win, news agency ANI reported.
Baghel addressing reporters here today said there were apprehensions of poaching of Congress MLAs.
Baghel and Shukla are set to reach Chandigarh later today while Hooda is already in Chandigarh.
"We are taking our leaders to Chandigarh and closing our doors and windows as the BJP will try to poach, as they have done many times in the past," said Tajinder Singh Bittu, Congress in-charge for Himachal.
Independent candidate Hoshiyar Singh has won the Dehra assembly seat, defeating his Congress rivals by more than 3,500 votes in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election results. Hoshiyar Singh defeated Rajesh Sharma by a margin of 3,877 votes.
BJP's Dilip Thakur won from Sarkaghat constituency of Mandi district with a thin margin of 1,807 votes, defeating Congress's Pawan Kumar. The Congress candidate was leading in the initial rounds. This is the seventh seat won by the BJP from Mandi. Results for Joginder Nagar and Nachan left, according to PTI.
Outgoing Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jairam Thakur on Thursday said, "I will tender my resignation to the Governor in a short while from now".
The BJP party member is fighting from the Seraj constituency, counting for which is still on. Notably, Thakur is leading in his constituency by a margin of 38183 votes; Congress' Chet Ram is trailing in this constituency.
According to the latest result status on Election Commission website Congress and BJP have now won 11 seats as counting continues.
Won Leading Total
Congress 11 28 39
BJP 11 15 26
Independent 2 1 3
State Technical Education, Information and technology, and Tribal Development Minister in the Government of Himachal Pradesh, BJP MLA Ram Lal Markanda loses from Lahaul and Spiti constituency.
Indian National Congress' Ravi Thakur won with a margin of 1616 votes
BJP's Deep Raj has won the Karsog seat. Deep Raj, a first timer, won by 10, 534 votes against Congress' first timer Mahesh Raj. For the 2022 Assembly elections, BJP had denied ticket to sitting MLA Hira Lal.
According to the Election Commission website, Congress has won in 10, and is leading in 29 seats, while BJP has won 9 seats and is leading on 17 as counting continues. The EC's official trends show that Congress has crossed the majority mark of 35.
Won Leading Total
Congress 10 29 39
BJP 9 17 26
Independent 2 1 3
In the run to become chief minister, Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh said, “People have given us the mandate, there is no need to fear. We can meet (our MLAs) anywhere including Chandigarh or in the state. Those who have won will be with us and we will form the government".
Pratibha Singh, who is the wife of former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh, told reporters, "We are confident that results will be in favour of the Congress and we will form the government".
Pratibha Singh has joined the race for the chief ministerial post while making it clear that the family and legacy of Virbhadra Singh cannot be ignored.
Congress candidate Harish Janartha on Thursday won from Shimla constituency in Himachal Pradesh with a margin of 3037 votes.
According to the Election Commission of India, Independent candidate Ashish Sharma, a BJP rebel, has won from Hamirpur
In the highly predicted hung parliament during exit polls, the party wise vote share for the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh shows that BJP has a 42.89%, while Congress has a vote share of 43.97, according to Election Commission of India.
BJP candidate and minister Sukh Ram Chaudhary wins from Poanta Sahib, according to Election Commission
According to the latest numbers from the Elections Commision of India, in Himachal Pradesh, Congress has won the Jubbal-Kotkhai, Kinnaur, Chamba and Shimla seats. The grand old party is leading in 36 seats.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won in Mandi, Nurpur, Pachad, Paonta Sahib and Sundernagar. The saffron party is leading in 20 seats
Congress' winning MLAs will be taken to Chandigarh as the fear of poaching looms among senior party leaders. The party continues to maintain its lead in the election. Congress is leading on 36 seats, while the BJP is leading in 20.
All India Congress Committee in-charge Rajeev Shukla on Thursday said praised Priyanka Gandhi as the party is set to come to power in Himachal Pradesh.
Shukla said it was Priyanka Gandhi who took the reins of the campaign in her hand and did a great job with it.
"Though the results are still coming in it is a victory of the people. With the blessings of God, if Congress wins, we will do everything possible for the interest of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Priyanka ji (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) campaigned a lot, she worked really hard," he said.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election Result 2022 Live Updates: Congress party workers celebrate at the Delhi office of the party after Congress crosses the majority mark of 35 seats in Himachal Pradesh.
Congress has won 1 seat and is leading on 39 others while BJP won 4 and is leading on 21 others; counting continues.
The BJP is trailing in HImachal Pradesh as per the latest trend by the election commission of India. The saffron party is leading on 23 seats while rival Congress is leading on 38 seats. The vote share of BJP has also declined at 42.9%
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Hooda said the Congress will form its government in Himachal Pradesh going by the present election result trends.
The Congress is inching towards victory in the hill state with it leading in 38 seats, according to data on the Election Commission website.
Hooda is set to leave for Shimla along with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla to keep its flock of MLAs together and hold consultations for government formation there.
The election observer of Congress for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls Bhupesh Baghel has expressed hopes of forming a government in the hill state. However, he stressed his apprehensions of the horse-trading of the Congress MLAs.
"Though Congress is leading in many constituencies in Himachal, there is a neck-and-neck competition at many others. We should wait till the election results are announced as the counting is still underway," Bhupesh Baghel said.
Looking at the possible victory in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress party has tasked the All India Congress Committee secretaries to prevent any kind of poaching.
Senior Congress leaders Deepender Singh Hooda, Bhupesh Baghel, and Congress-in-charge Rajiv Shukla have been given the duty to take the elected MLA to a "safer place".
Congress leaders Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Hooda, Rajiv Shukla have left for Himachal Pradesh as the party has secured a lead in the election. According to a report by The Quint, Congress has deputed senior party leaders in the hilly state to prevent the poaching of its elected MLAs.
Vipin Singh Parmar is leading from Sullah constituency by 4,948 votes.
Independent candidate Jagjiwan Paul has secured 15,836 votes, as per election commission data.
Former Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Kuldeep Rathore is leading from the Theog assembly seat with a narrow margin of 2,601 votes.
Rathore is contesting for the first time. It was during his tenure as state Congress chief that the party won by-elections to the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and three assembly seats last year.
The Congress has surged ahead of the BJP leading on 39 out of the 68 seats while the ruling party has won one seat and is ahead on 25, according to early trends from Himachal Pradesh where counting of votes cast in the assembly polls is in progress.
Whereas the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had fielded candidates on 67 seats, is yet to open its account, according to the Election Commission.
The result of one seat of Sundernagar in Mandi district has been declared where BJP's Rakesh Jamwal, who is the sitting MLA, has defeated his nearest Congress rival by a margin of 8,125 votes.
Sweets are being distributed among Congress workers in Shimla as the party leads in 40 seats in Himachal Pradesh.
Vikramaditya Singh, Congress party's Shimla rural candidate confidently said that his party will form a full government with a full majority in Himachal Pradesh.
Singh, the son of the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Late Virbhadra Singh added that his mother Pratibha Singh is one f the contenders for the CM post.
Vikramaditya is leading by 12,690 votes from BJP's Ravi Kumar Mehta.
Congress Kishori Lal is leading from Baijnath constituency against BJP's Mulkh Raj.
Congress' incumbent MLA Anirudh Singh is leading over his nearest BJP rival Suresh Bhardwaj in the Kasumpti assembly seat.
The erstwhile member of the Koti royal family, Singh was ahead with a margin of 7,596 votes.
Asha Kumari, six-time Congress MLA is trailing in Dalhousie assembly seat with BJP candidate D S Thakur in the lead.
Kumari is among the chief ministerial probables in case the Congress wins the assembly elections.
The incumbent Leader of the Opposition and one of Congress’s CM faces, Mukesh Agnihotri is leading from the Haroli seat with 20,319 votes. BJP has pitted Ram Kumar against Agnihotri.
Congress has taken a lead over BJP in Himachal as per the Election Commission data. The grand old party is leading on 38 seats in Himachal Pradesh as of 11:40 AM. The list of Congress candidates that are leading in Himachal Pradesh are:
The three rebel BJP MLA's in Himachal Pradesh are leading at present.
Congress veteran Dhani Ram Shandil is leading over BJP's Rajesh Kashyap from Solan seat.
Shandil's vote count stands at 12,295.
Himachal Pradesh election results: The Congress party is leading on 37 seats while the BJP is at 27 seats, EC's data shows.
Congress is leading in Himachal Pradesh at present. The party is leading on 36 seats while the BJP is leading on 28 seats.
In a neck-to-neck competition between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC), trends show both leading at 32 seats in Himachal Pradesh.
Congress candidate Harish Janartha is leading with 6869 votes. While BJP's Sanjay Sood has secured 5346 votes only.
Contrary to its clean sweep in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has failed completely in Himachal Pradesh. The party has failed to open its account just like in Uttarakhand, another hilly state.
Two independent candidates are ahead of BJP and Congress from two seats.
From the Banjar constituency, Hiteshwar Singh is leading and KL Thakur is winning from the Nalagarh seat, according to the election commission data.
Congress candidate Bhuvneshwar Gaur is leading from Manali seat while BJP's Govind Singh Thakur trailing.
BJP candidate Pawan Kumar Kajal is leading from Kangra seat. Earlier, he was the head of Congress Working Committee. He left Congress and joined BJP in August this year.
In Chamba seat, a close contest is seen between the BJP and the Congress.
According to EC's data, Neeraj Nayar (Congress) has secured 6,207 votes as of 10 am while BJP's Neelam Nayyar has secured 6,740 votes. Neelam is wife of sitting MLA of Chamba, Pawan Nayyar.
Congress' Vikramaditya Singh, son of the former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Late Virbhadra Singh is leading from Shimla rural.
As per the early trends, BJP and Congress are in a close fight in Himachal Pradesh.
BJP- 30
Congress- 28
Independent- 3
Congress leading from:
BJP leading from:
Independent leading from:
BJP is ahead of Congress as per Election Commission's early trends. The saffron party is leading on 7 seats while Congress is on 3 seats.
Congress is leading on one Assembly seat of 68 seats in Himachal Pradesh, as per election commission official trends.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Chief and wife of former HP Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Pratibha Singh said her party is expecting above 40 seats in today's election results.
"We are expecting above 40 seats, it can be more than 42, and can go up to 45 and above, I am not exaggerating, it could be less than this but it is clear that we are forming the government. This is the response from the people. I visited the areas and I have seen the response people and what they want that is very clear," said Himachal Congress chief.
The Congress party may have its eyes firmly set on the Bharat Jodo Yatra, but it kept its fingers crossed as it waited for the counting of votes for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election.
For the Congress, which has been on a downhill electorally since the last two election cycles, wresting Himachal Pradesh from the BJP is a matter of survival.
The stakes are high for the grand old party which has installed a non-Gandhi Congress president after 24 years, with former chief Rahul Gandhi giving the campaign circuit a complete miss.
The Congress has lost in nine states over two years, including West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry in 2021 and Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur this year.
The Congress is banking on anti-incumbency and is raising issues of price rise, unemployment and the old pension scheme in this election to woo the voters and bring about a change.
According to the Election Commission of India's early trends, Congress is leading in Himachal Pradesh.
The independent candidates with better chances of winning include K L Thakur (Nalagarh), Manohar Dhiman (Indora), Ram Singh (Kullu), Raju (Arki), Hosihiyar Singh (Dehra), Indu Verma (Theog) and Sanjay Prasher (Jaswan-Pragpur).
As per the early trends:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is eyeing to create a new record in Himachal Pradesh's politics by winning the 2022 assembly elections in the state. No party has won a back-to-back election in Himachal Pradesh after 1985. If the BJP manages to retain power in the hill state, that would be another record.
As per the early trends by the election commission, BJP's Jai Ram Thakur is leading from Seraj constituency. Besides, BJP leading in 4 seats and Congress 1, shows early trend.
Himachal election 2022 result LIVE Updates: Going by Himachal Pradesh’s "riwaj", or tradition, it should be the Congress' turn to form the next government. Himachal Pradesh has not returned any incumbent government to power after 1985, a trend the ruling BJP, powered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personalised campaign, hopes to break.
The BJP slogan this time has been "Raj nahin, riwaaj badlega", meaning the convention will change this time, not the government. With a muted campaign by the Aam Aadmi Party and its former state in-charge Satyendar Jain lodged in Tihar jail, Himachal election is considered two-way contest only between BJP and Congress.
The Election Commission has started counting of votes for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election on Thursday. Postal ballots will be counted first.
Employment and better education are the two major issues in Himachal Pradesh. The youth of Himachal Pradesh is rooting for better education and employment.
The SDM from Mandi said all preparations have been done for the counting day. The counting of votes for the Himachal Pradesh election will begin at 8 am.
The key constituencies include:
Himachal election 2022 result LIVE Updates: The vote counting in the high-stakes Himachal polls 2022 will begin at 8 am. The counting of votes for assembly elections 2022 will start at 68 counting halls in 59 locations throughout the state on Thursday morning.
While the early trends would start coming in from 8:30-9 am, the final result would be declared when the election commission announces the official result on all 68 assembly seats.
Himachal Pradesh assembly election results LIVE: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday appeared in a relaxed mood and was seen enjoying "gol gappas" at the famous Ridge in Shimla.
He was accompanied by Himachal Pradesh BJP's organisational secretary Pawan Rana, party election co-incharge Devendra Singh Rana and BJP candidate from Shimla (urban) Sanjay Sood.
The chief minister also took a stroll on Mall Road.
Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Virbhadra Singh has joined the race for the chief ministerial post while making it clear that the family and legacy of Virbhadra Singh cannot be ignored.
The wife of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Pratibha Singh in Shimla said, "People in the state want somebody from the Virbhadra family to carry the legacy for the development of the state."
She said that most of the MLAs did not want to neglect the family of Virbhadra Singh and his legacy because he led the Congress in the state many times.
Chief Electoral Officer Maneesh Garg said that around 10,000 duty staff and security personnel have been deployed across Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. Garg said that depending upon the availability of the space, a maximum of 14 counting tables and a minimum of 8 counting tables would be available in the counting halls.
There will be a separate table for nearly 500 postal ballots. Besides, there will also be separate tables for scanning of electronically transmitted postal ballots linked to computers for counting, he added.
Several independent candidates in the state claimed that they have started getting feelers from the two main parties for their support. Since, most of the exit polls have predicted hung assembly in the states, therefore, the role of independent candidates could be crucial.
Altogether, there are 91 independents in the fray including about two dozen rebels who may cut into the votes that would have normally gone to the official party candidates, and spoil their prospects.
The political parties, however, are focused on independents who have a bigger chance of winning. Both the BJP and the Congress are chalking out strategies to rope them in, in case they themselves fall short of majority.
In some elections in the past, Independents have played a significant role in the state, which has a record of alternating between the two main parties every assembly election.
In 1982, the Congress won 31 out of 68 seats in 1982 and formed the government with the help of independents. The BJP and Janata Party won 29 and two seats, respectively, and independents bagged six seats in that election.
BJP leader Shanta Kumar went to Raj Bhavan to stake his claim to form the government after two Janata Party members assured their support. But both of them failed to turn up there. Instead, four independents extended support to the Congress.
In 1998, the lone independent member Romesh Dhawala held the balance, supporting first the Congress and then the BJP-Haryana Vikas Congress alliance. Ultimately, a BJP-led government was sworn in.