Himachal Pradesh Elections

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Intense lobbying witnessed within Congress for Himachal Pradesh CM's post

Intense lobbying continued for the chief minister's post on Saturday, a day after the newly elected Congress MLAs unanimously passed a resolution authorising the party president to pick the legislature party leader. From the morning itself, Congress MLAs made a beeline to Cecil Hotel in Shimla where the party's central observers -- Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda -- were staying. Even after winning the assembly polls with a clear mandate, the Congress is finding it difficult to fill the void created by the death of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh and reach a consensus on the legislature party leader who will become the CM. Several leaders including state Congress Chief Pratibha Singh, leader of the opposition in the outgoing Assembly Mukesh Agnihotri and head of the election campaign committee Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, who are believed to be the frontrunners for the top post, met the observers ...

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Himachal Congress Legislature Party meeting begins to discuss next CM

A meeting of newly elected Congress MLAs got underway in Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla Friday evening. The MLAs are expected to pass a resolution authorising the Congress president to pick the legislature party leader who will be the next chief minister. The meeting started at the Congress office here amid show of strength by the chief minister aspirants. State party chief Pratibha Singh, leader of the opposition Mukesh Agnihotri and head of the election campaign committee Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu reached the party office along with their supporters, who raised slogans in their favour. The Congress wrested power from the BJP in the hill state winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats. The polling was held on November 12 and the results were declared Thursday. Two Congress observers - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and former CM of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda -- and AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla attended the meeting.

Cong observers meet Himachal governor amid hectic lobbying for CM's post

Congress observers met Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday, shared a list of the party's winning MLAs and "sought time" to formally stake claim to form the government, as the party saw hectic lobbying for the chief minister's post. With the new MLAs slated to meet later in the evening, Pratibha Singh, Congress MP and the wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, indicated that she is in the running for the top job. Some Congress workers raised slogans in support of Singh, who is also the state party chief. Former state chief of the party Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and outgoing legislature party leader Mukesh Agnihotri are also believed to among the frontrunners for the chief minister's post. The Congress wrested power from the BJP in the hill state winning 40 of the 68 assembly seats. The polling was held on November 12 and the results were declared Thursday. At the MLAs' meeting, they are expected to pass a resolution authorising the party president to

40 Congress lawmakers in Himachal to nominate legislative party leader

Pratibha Singh, Sukhwinder Sukhu and Mukesh Agnihotri are considered key frontrunners for the chief minister's post

Himachal polls: Rebels played spoilsport in 12 out of 68 assembly seats

Rebels played a spoilsport for both the BJP and Congress in 12 out of the 68 assembly segments in Himachal Pradesh. The rebels, who contested as independents in the assembly polls, marred the prospects of BJP candidates in eight seats while Congress candidates were hit in four assembly segments. Out of the total 99 independents who were in the fray, 28 were rebels. All the three winning Independents -- K L Thakur from Nalagarh, Hoshiyar Singh from Dehra and Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur -- were BJP rebels who were denied party tickets. Thakur had won in 2012 but lost in 2017 and the BJP chose to field Lakhwinder Singh Rana, a two-term Congress MLA, who jumped ship ahead of the elections. Singh, sitting independent MLA from Dehra had joined the BJP on the eve of assembly elections but the party gave ticket to Ramesh Dhawala while Ashish Sharma from Hamirpur was also a BJP rebel. The rebels spoiled the prospects of the BJP in Kinnaur, Kullu, Banjar, Indora and Dharamshala, while the .

Himachal poll result 2022 HIGHLIGHTS: Cong wins 40 seats, BJP settles at 25

Himachal Pradesh election result 2022: Exit polls have predicted the return of the BJP. Stay tuned for Himachal Pradesh Assembly election result LIVE updates

Most exit polls get Guj result right, fail to call HP elections correctly

All exit polls predicted a BJP win in Gujarat but only a few got its scale right, while for Himachal Pradesh, most pollsters got it wrong as they failed to predict a Congress win. The BJP posted a historic victory in Gujarat, winning 156 seats in the 182-member state assembly. The Congress party finished second, winning a paltry 17 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party bagged just five. The Aaj Tak-Axis My India exit poll nearly got it right as it had predicted 129-151 seats for the BJP, 16-30 seats for the Congress and 9-21 seats for the AAP. News 24-Today's Chanakya also was close in its prediction as it had projected an average of 150 seats for the BJP, 19 for the Congress and 11 for the AAP. Both pollsters were a little off the mark in predicting the AAP's seats. All pollsters called the result right but failed to accurately predict the scale. While ABP News C-Voter had predicted 128-140 seats for the BJP, 31-43 for the Congress and 3-11 for the AAP, the News X-Jan Ki Baat exit pol

Off the mark: Pollsters faltered in Gujarat again, and in Himachal as well

In Gujarat, the number of seats won on smaller margins had redu­ced

Himachal election results: Cong wins battle of tradition, faces CM hurdle

Locals say two factors played an invisible role in the BJP's defeat: one, the turnout of women in this time was 17% higher; second, the Agnivir scheme in a state that sends a large number of soldiers

Three polls, three parties, three outcomes

In the shadow of their triumphs, the limitations of the Modi magic outside Gujarat, and of Kejriwal beyond Delhi, have been exposed

Hope Congress will be committed to Himachal's development: Anurag Thakur

Senior BJP leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said he respects the people's mandate in Himachal Pradesh, and the party will continue to work for the interest of the state. Thakur, who led a spirited campaign for the assembly elections in his home state, said he expects the new Congress government in Himachal Pradesh to remain committed to the development of the state. "We fully respect the mandate given to the BJP in Himachal Pradesh. New dimensions of development were established in Himachal Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and we hope that the new Congress government will also be dedicated to the development of Himachal," he said. "Whatever may be the result, we will always remain in the role of a servant in the service of the state with full solidarity as before and will stand for the interests of the state," he said. The Congress emerged victorious in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, winning 40 seats i

Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur wins Siraj seat, defeats Congress

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has retained his Seraj assembly seat in Mandi district, defeating nearest Congress rival Chet Ram by a significant margin of 31,788 votes. Thakur has won the seat for the sixth time. A total of six candidates were in fray from the seat. The BJP leader has managed to hold onto his seat even though the party lost power to the Congress in the state. The Congress has won 40 seats in the 68-member assembly in the state. The BJP has won 23 and is leading in two. An astute politician, Thakur loves to keep low profile. During the election campaign, he sought votes in the name of development and works of the double-engine government. He had said the BJP would get a clear majority and change the tradition or "Riwaz" of people voting governments out every five years in the state.

Cong thanks people on HP win; Rahul says every promise will be fulfilled

With the Congress winning the Himachal Pradesh elections on Thursday, party leaders thanked the people of state for reposing faith in it and giving a clear mandate. "This victory is of all of you. Thank you Himachal Pradesh," the party said in a tweet in Hindi from its official handle. The Congress now will be in power in three states on its own and in as many others -- Jharkhand, Bihar Tamil Nadu -- in alliance. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge congratulated the people of Himachal and credited them and party leaders for the victory of his party. He said Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra has also helped in this win and thanked former Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her support in these elections. He said it is a long journey ahead and "we will all sit together and discuss the way forward". Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, "Heartfelt thanks to the people of Himachal Pradesh for this decisive victory. Hearty congratulations to all Congress workers and leaders. Yo

Himachal polls: CM Thakur tenders resignation to Guv after conceding defeat

Conceding defeat in Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday tendered his resignation to the governor, official sources said. The governor has accepted his resignation, they said. With the Congress set to cross the majority mark in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the chief minister earlier said he respected the mandate and was going to hand over his resignation to the governor.

Congress leaders credit Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for Himachal Pradesh win

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. All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla hailed Priyanka Gandhi's campaign and leadership, lauding the "hard work" put in by her. Senior Congress leader An

Respect mandate, going to hand over my resignation to governor: Himachal CM

With the Congress set to cross the majority mark in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur Thursday said he respects the mandate and was going to hand over his resignation to the governor. "I respect the mandate. In a short while, I am going to hand over my resignation to the governor," Thakur told reporters here. The Congress on Thursday appeared to be heading to achieve majority in Himachal Pradesh as it surged ahead of the BJP, winning 16 seats and leading in 23 others. According to the latest results and trends, the ruling BJP had registered a win on 13 seats and was leading in as many others. Three Independents have also emerged victorious. Himachal Pradesh has not voted any incumbent government to power since 1985.

Himachal's CM face to be picked by Congress high command, says party leader

The chief minister of Himachal Pradesh will be picked by the Congress high command, a party leader said here on Thursday. The party was leading in 40 seats of 68 till noon in the hill state with most of its top leaders having won their seats. Sudhir Sharma, who has also won his seat defeating BJP's Rakesh Choudhary by 3,285 votes in the Dharamsala constituency, said, "I am grateful to the people of Dharmsala. This election has been fought by the people of Dharamshala." "I will try my best to live up to the expectations on which they have elected me," he added. Replying to a question on the party's CM face, Sharma said, "Congress will definitely form the government in Himachal and everyone will move forward together on the decision taken by the party high command on the leadership." All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary, Sharma, who is considered as one of the chief minister faces of the party, has earlier served as the minister of housing, urban development and town & ...

Cong's HP win to have ripple effect on states going to polls in 2023: Anand

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Anand Sharma on Thursday said the Congress' victory in Himachal Pradesh will have resonance and a ripple effect on states where elections are scheduled for next year. He said he was happy that the people of Himachal Pradesh demonstrated "wisdom and maturity" to give the Congress a decisive victory and a stable majority in the state. "Delighted over the victory of Congress in my home state Himachal Pradesh. I thank our people, the voters and people of the state who have demonstrated wisdom and maturity to give Congress a decisive victory and stable majority," he said. "The victory will have resonance and a ripple effect in states that will go to elections next year," Sharma said. Sharma, a member of the G23 group of Congress dissenters, had campaigned for the party in Himachal assembly polls and many candidates, for whom he canvassed, won the election. He, however, later had lamented that the party did not utilise his services ...