Himachal Results 2022: Congress Eyes Much-Needed Win While BJP Clings To Hope In Close Contest — Key Updates

Himachal Results 2022: If Congress secures a majority, it faces the task of choosing a chief ministerial face without creating factions in the state unit that could invariably help the BJP.

New Delhi: While the mandate is clear in Gujarat, the hill state of Himachal Pradesh has so far been favouring the Congress even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party continues to hope for a return in contrast to the longstanding 'riwaaz' (tradition) as vote counting is underway on Thursday.

The BJP's all-out personalised campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempted to buck the 'alternative government' trend in Himachal but official trends released by the Election Commission showed that the Congress is so far leading in 33 seats, having won six, crossing the majority mark of 35.

Key Points For Himachal Pradesh Results:

• So far, the ECI has declared the BJP as securing eight seats, while the Congress won six and independent candidate Ashish Sharma, a BJP rebel, won from Hamirpur.
  

  BJP's Anil Sharma has won in Mandi Constituency with a margin of 10006 votes. BJP's Ranbir Singh won Nurpur seat, defeating nearest rival and Congress candidate Ajay Mahajan by 18,752 votes. BJP's Rakesh Jamwal won the Sundernagar seat by a margin of over 8,000 votes. BJP's Sukh Ram secured Paonta Sahib seat.

  
  

  As for the Congress, Harish Janartha won in Shimla by a margin of 3037 votes, Neeraj Nayar won from Chamba constituency.

  
  

  



• The Congress, leading in 33 more seats, has rushed its senior leaders such as Deepender Singh Hooda, Bhupesh Baghel, and Rajiv Shukla to reach the hill state to ensure that the party is able to secure its win while sources say that the grand old party's candidates will be moved to Radisson Hotel in Mohali to prevent poaching bids.
  
  


• While talking to the media at Raipur helipad, CM Bhupesh Baghel said that the party is waiting for the final results as counting of votes is going on. "We had hope that our government would be formed in Himachal, it seems to be getting there. Today I will go to Himachal Pradesh, the observer has been made there."
  Notably, he denied that the winning Congress MLAs would be brought to Raipur. "We have to take care of our leaders because BJP can do anything. They can go to any level," the Congress leader said.


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  If the Congress secures a majority, the party leadership faces the uphill task to decide on the chief minister's name. There are more than half a dozen names in the race for the post of CM with five prominent contenders including Pratibha Singh, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Mukesh Agnihotri, Thakur Kaul Singh, and Asha Kumari.

  
  


• Meanwhile, the AAP has not been able to secure a lead in any seat. However, Congress leaders said that the close contest with the BJP was because of the Arvind Kejriwal-led parties causing vote division in areas where the grand old party could have gained more votes.
  
  


• Earlier in the day, trends showed the ruling BJP and Congress tie or attain a very close lead against each other. Meanwhile, the AAP has not been able to secure a lead in any seat. In the case of a tie or either party failing to secure a majority, independents would play the role of kingmakers in enabling either side to form the government in Himachal. 

BJP Vs Congress In Himachal Pradesh

For the opposition Congress, a victory in Himachal is much-needed for its revival, as it has seen a spate of electoral losses in the last few years.

Himachal Pradesh has not returned any incumbent government to power in the last nearly four decades.

The Congress has expressed confidence in the party winning the assembly polls, saying the voters will decide on the fundamental issues of price rise, joblessness, the old pension scheme, and other challenges of life they have been facing.

The opposition party which holds power of its own only in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh hopes that the party's revival will start from Himachal Pradesh.

The results will also throw up if the entrant Aam Aadmi Party, which carried out a muted campaign for the November 12 elections, has been able to make any mark in the hill state in its bid to expand its base.

Counting Of Votes

Counting of votes began at 8 am at 68 counting halls spread across 59 locations throughout the state with the taking up of postal ballots first.

After a gap of 30 minutes from the commencement of counting of postal ballot papers, counting of votes for electronic voting machines (EVMs) commenced at 8.30 am.

About 76.44 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise in the assembly polls held on November 12.