Himachal Election Result Live: Congress Wins 40 Seats, BJP Settle for 25
Catch all live updates of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election 2022 results here.
Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly 2022 Results News and Latest Updates
(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election Results 2022 Live Updates and Latest News: After counting concluded in the hill state on Thursday, 8 December, the Congress secured victory and bagged 40 seats in the 2022 Himachal Assembly election, while the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to secure only 25 seats.
Independent candidates bagged the remaining three seats in the Himachal Assembly.
Meanwhile, news agency ANI, quoting sources, reported that MLAs from the Himachal Congress have been asked to stay in Shimla. It added that Observers Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Hooda and Rajeev Shukla are likely to meet the MLAs in Shimla on Friday, 9 December.
Security personnel stand guard as counting of votes for Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections is underway at a centre in Shimla, Thursday, 8 Dec, 2022.
Counting of votes for Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections in progress at a centre in Shimla, Thursday, 8 Dec, 2022.
Shimla: People wait for Himachal Pradesh Assembly election results at Ridge in Shimla, Thursday, 8 December, 2022.
Shimla: Media and Congress party workers outside the residence of party's Himachal Pradesh incharge Pratibha Singh, in Shimla, Thursday, 8 Dec, 2022. Congress is leading in the Assembly polls.
Shimla: Congress candidate from Shimla Rural seat Vikramaditya Singh speaks with the media following his lead in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, in Shimla, Thursday, 8 December, 2022.
Shimla: Congress workers distribute sweets as they celebrate the partys lead in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.
New Delhi: Congress workers burn firecrackers celebrating the partys lead in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, at AICC headquarters.
New Delhi: Congress supporters offer sweets to party leader Pawan Khera celebrating the partys lead in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, at AICC headquarters.
Ranchi: Congress workers burn firecrackers to celebrate the partys decisive lead in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election, in Ranchi, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
Lucknow: Congress workers celebrate the partys decisive lead in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election, at the party office in Lucknow, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
Lucknow: Congress workers celebrate the partys decisive lead in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election, at the party office in Lucknow, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022
New Delhi: AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajeev Shukla along with co-incharge Tajinder Bittu greets Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on partys win Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, in New Delhi, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
Kullu: Congress candidate Sunder Singh Thakur celebrates his win with supporters on the counting day of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections, in Kullu, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. (PTI Photo)(PTI12_08_2022_000254B)
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur submits his resignation to Governor Rajendra Arlekar, in Shimla, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
About 76.44 percent of voters had exercised their right to vote during the single-phased polls for Himachal's 68-member House.
Exit polls have predicted a photo-finish in Himachal Pradesh between the BJP and the Congress with the India Today-Axis My India Exit Poll giving a slight edge to the Congress, while hedging its bets on whether the party will win a clear majority or not.
The ABP-CVoter, Times Now-ETG and the Republic-PMARQ Exit Polls have predicted the opposite - an edge to the BJP.
There are 68 constituencies in the hill state, so a party will need to secure 35 seats in order to ensure majority.
The BJP had won majority with 44 seats in the 2017 Assembly election in the state, while the Congress had garnered 21 seats.
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Exit Polls Divided: Axis Gives Congress an Edge, Others Say BJP
The India Today-Axis My India Exit Poll has given a slight edge to the Congress, though it has still hedged its bets on whether the party will win a clear majority or not.
However, the ABP-CVoter, Times Now-ETG and the Republic-PMARQ Exit Polls have predicted the opposite - an edge to the BJP.
Why Is There Divergence in Exit Poll Predictions?
The divergence in the predictions in Himachal Pradesh is largely due to the problems of surveying in the state. This is a state where constituencies are small - barely 80,000 voters on an average. It is also a predominantly rural state with over 80 percent of the electorate living in rural and often very remote areas.
Therefore surveying is a major challenge here, and predicting an even bigger challenge as several seats are decided with margins of less than 1000 votes.
Were Exit Polls Correct on Himachal Assembly Election Results in 2017 & 2012?
Exit polls are usually seen as an indicator of polling trends. Sometimes, they are proven to be in sync with the final results, but on other occasions, they have ended up being inaccurate.
So, how accurate have the exit polls been in the last couple of Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections? Click here to find out.
10,000 Security Personnel, ROs To Oversee Counting Amid Heavy Security
Over 10,000 security personnel, support staff and returning officers have been listed to oversee the counting of votes.
Moreover, a three-tier secrity system has also been set up for the strong rooms, where votes are counted, with the innemost parameter set to be guarded by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
The second and third tiers will be guarded by the armed police and district executive force.
6 Steps Helped Congress Give BJP a Run For Its Money in Himachal Polls
The Himachal elections is a historic election as it is the first time in decades that stalwarts Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal are not in the fray.
Additionally, the BJP hopes that it will be able to break Himachal's over three-decade long track record of alternating between it and the Congress.
But what about the Congress? How has it managed to take on the BJP's might in the absence of former CM Virbhadra Singh, who passed away in 2021? The Quint decodes.
Counting of Votes Begins at 8 AM
Counting of votes is underway in 68 assembly constituencies in the hill state.
BJP Leads in 4 Seats, Congress in 1
BJP leads in four seats and Congress in one, fifteen minutes after counting of votes begins.
Jairam Thakur Leads in Seraj
BJP leader and Chief Minister Jairam Thakur is leading from Seraj assembly constituency.
Congress' Harish Janartha Leads in Shimla
Congress candidate Harish Janartha leads from Shimla assembly constituency.
BJP, Congress Locked in Tight Race
Congress and BJP continue to be locked in a tight race at 8:40 am, with BJP leading in 35 seats, and Congress in 29 seats.
Mukesh Agnihotri Leads in Haroli
Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri eyes fifth-time win, with intial trends showing leads in Haroli assembly constituency.
Rakesh Singha Leads in Theog
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Rakesh Singha leads in Theog assembly constituency.
Vikramaditya Singh Leads from Shimla Rural
Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh leads from Shimla rural assembly constituency, as of 8:50 AM.
Leads Swing as Congress, BJP Locked in Tight Battle
Congress and BJP are locked in a neck-to-neck race, as leads swing between the two parties in the initial hours of counting of votes.
Ram Lal Markanda leads from Lahaul & Spiti
BJP leader Ram Lal Markanda leads from Lahaul & Spiti assembly constituency.
What Assembly Election Results Looked Like From 1998 - 2017
Congress Leads by a Small Margin
At 9:11 AM, Congress leads in 37 seats, while BJP takes the lead in 31.
Sukhwinder Sukhu Trailing in Nadaun
Former Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is trailing in Nadaun, as of 9:15 AM.
How the Big Netas of Himachal are Faring
This is how the big netas are faring in their respective constituencies in the hill state:
For latest updates, keep checking this card!
Vikramaditya Singh Trails from Shimla Rural
Vikramaditya Singh, son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, is trailing from Shimla rural.
If Present Trends Continue.....
If present trends continue, Congress will be able to able to dislodge the BJP's incumbent government - continuing its over three-decade long track record of alternating between it and the grand old party.
Here is how Himachal has voted in the last three decades.
Early Trends Indicate Possibility of a Hung Assembly
Early trends are indicating the possibility of a hung Assembly, as BJP leads in 31 seats while Congress inches ahead in 33 seats.
Suresh Bhardwaj Leads in Kasumpti
BJP leader Suresh Bhardwaj is leading from the Kasumpti assembly seat.
Jairam Thakur Maintains Lead in Seraj
Chief Minister and BJP leader Jairam Thakur maintains lead in Seraj assembly constituency. He is contesting against Congress' Chetram Thakur.
Cong Leaders Deputed to Prevent Chances of Poaching of To-Be MLAs: Sources
As Himachal Pradesh's early trends Thursday morning seem to be confirming the exit polls’ prediction of a neck and neck fight between the BJP and Congress, sources told The Quint that the Congress party has deputed its senior leaders Bhupinder Hooda and Bhupesh Baghel to prevent any chances of poaching of its to-be-elected MLAs.
To read more, click here.
Sukhwinder Sukhu Leads From Nadaun
Congress leader Sukhwinder Sukhu takes the lead in Nadaun assembly constituency, inching ahead of BJP's Vijay Agnihotri, as per latest trends.
Suresh Bhardwaj Trails Behind INC's Anirudh Singh
Suresh Bhardwaj trails behind INC's Anirudh Singh by 4,757 votes, as per EC numbers.
Mukesh Agnihotri Maintains Lead in Haroli
Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri maintains lead with 1,904 votes in Haroli assembly constituency. He is ahead of BJP state spokesperson Ram Kumar.
Vikramaditya Singh Leads With 6,676 Votes
Late CM Virbhadra Singh's son, Vikramaditya Singh is leading with 6,676 votes against BJP's Ravi Kumar Mehta in Shimla rural, as per latest trends.
Congress, BJP Alternate Leads in Stiff Race
Congress and the BJP have switched their lead multiple times, even as counting of votes continued in Himachal Pradesh assembly elections.
At 8:30 AM, BJP was leading by 6 seats
At 9:11 AM, Congress was leading by 6 seats
At 9:30 AM, BJP took a narrow lead by 1 seat
At 10 AM, Congress jumped ahead, leading by 3 seats
Congress Takes Lead in Nail-Biting Contest
Congress overtakes BJP in 38 seats, having an edge over BJP in a largely head-to-head contest.
Independents Lead in 3 Seats
As per current trends, independent candidates are leading in 3 constituencies – these candidates are likely to be key players once the results are declared, especially if there is a slim margin between the top two parties.
BJP's Rakesh Kumar Wins in Sundernagar Seat
BJP candidate Rakesh Kumar wins from Sundernagar seat, beating INC's Sohan Lal by over 8,000 votes, as per Election Commission numbers.
Himachal Vote Share Split in Half
According to latest numbers by the EC, the vote share is split in half between Congress and the BJP, with 43.3 percent of votes going to the saffron party and 43.4 percent of votes going to Congress.
Himachal Congress Chief Maintains Lead in Nadaun
Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Sukhwinder Sukhu takes the lead in Nadaun Assembly constituency by 5,091 votes, inching ahead of the BJP's Vijay Agnihotri, as per latest trends.
'Will Do Anything To Protect Democracy': Vikramaditya Singh
"We will do everything to protect democracy as BJP can do anything," Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh told news agency ANI amid speculations of BJP poaching to-be-elected leaders.
There are over half a dozen rebels in the Congress who are disgruntled over not being given a ticket by the high command, writes The Quint's Fatima Khan. Read her story here.
'Pratibha Singh Is One of the CM Faces': Vikramaditya Singh
"We will form a government with a full majority and our government will run for 5 years. She (Pratibha Virbhadra Singh) is one of the contenders for the CM post," Shimla Rural candidate Vikramaditya Singh told news agency ANI.
Result Declared: BJP Wins Nurpur
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ranbir Singh wins from Nurpur Assembly constituency, according to the Election Commission.
INC Leader Harish Janartha Wins Shimla
Congress leader Harish Janartha wins Shimla Assembly seat, beating BJP's Sanjay Sood by a margin of 3,037 votes.
'Will Decide Whether to Call MLAs to Shimla or Chandigarh': Rajiv Shukla
Congress leader Rajiv Shukla spoke to news agency ANI and indicated that senior party leaders Bhupinder Hooda is already in Chandigarh. "Bhupesh Baghel and I will be going to Chandigarh and will be deciding by evening whether to call MLAs to Shimla or Chandigarh," he added.
'No Need to Fear': Congress Leader Pratibha Singh
"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 Virbhadra Singh, Himachal Congress President, told news agency ANI.
Kasumpti Result Declared: INC Wins
INC's Anirudh Singh wins in Kasumpti assembly constituency, beating BJP's Suresh Bhardwaj by a margin of 8,655 votes.
'Scrap Agniveer Scheme': Congress MP Anand Sharma
"Devbhoomi has sent a message. Scrap Agniveer Scheme. In all those areas from where a large number of young people go to Army, BJP has been hammered. It's very clear. Second, they must restore Old Pension Scheme," Congress MP Anand Sharma told news agency ANI.
Congress Wins in 10 Seats, BJP in 9
As per the latest EC numbers, Congress has won in 10 seats, while BJP has grabbed 9 seats.
’Will Tender My Resignation in a Short While: CM Jairam Thakur
"I will tender my resignation to the Governor in a short while from now," Outgoing Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur said.
"I respect people's mandate and I want to thank the prime minister and other central leadership during the last 5 years. We'll stand for the development of the state irrespective of politics. We'll analyse our shortcoming and improve during the next term," Thakur added.
Congress Continues Surging Ahead
According to the latest trends, the Congress is surging ahead of BJP on 39 of 68 seats in Himachal Pradesh and has already won 16 seats, while ruling BJP has won 13 seats and is ahead in 13 constituencies.
'We Have Won Himachal Elections': Congress Prez Kharge
After outgoing CM Jairam Thakur condeded defeat, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "We have won #HimachalElections. I want to thank the people, our workers & 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 in this. Sonia Gandhi's blessings are also with us," Kharge added,
Minister Ram Lal Markanda Loses from Lahaul & Spiti
Himachal Pradesh Cabinet Minister Dr Ram Lal Markanda lost the Lahaul and Spiti assembly seat to Congress rival Ravi Thakur by a margin of 1,616 votes, according to the Election Commission.
Vikramaditya Singh Wins
Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, son of CM hopeful Pratibha Singh, wins from Shimla Rural by a margin of 13860 votes, according to the Election Commission.
CM Jairam Thakur Reaches Raj Bhawan in Shimla
Outgoing Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur has reached the Raj Bhawan in Shimla to tender his resignation to the Governor Rajendra Arlekar.
‘Not Worried About Poaching’: HP Congress Prez Pratibha V Singh
Himachal Congress President Pratibha V Singh said, "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 & we are not worried about poaching."
CM Jairam Thakur Resigns
Outgoing Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur has tendered his resignation to the Governor Rajendra Arlekar.
Thakur told news agency ANI, "I have handed over my resignation to the Governor. I 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."
BJP Sweep Mandi District, Congress Win One
BJP candidates Vinod Kumar and Parkash Rana won the Nachan and Joginder Nagar seats respectively in Mandi district. With these victories, nine out of 10 seats in Mandi were won by the incumbent BJP.
Results So Far: Congress Win 33 Seats, BJP Secure 18
As of 4:50 pm, the Congress has secured victories in 33 seats in Himachal Pradesh while their main rivals, the incumbent BJP, have won only 18 seats. Currently, both parties are leading count in 7 seats each, according to latest numbers by the EC.
Congress' Dhani Ram Shandil Defeats Son-in-Law in Solan
Veteran Congress leader Dhani Ram Shandil retained his seat in Solan after defeating his son-in-law and BJP rival Rajesh Kashyap by a margin of 3,858 votes.
‘Heartfelt Thanks to People of Himachal’: Rahul Gandhi
“Heartfelt thanks to the people of Himachal Pradesh for this decisive victory. Hearty congratulations to all Congress workers and leaders," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
"Your hard work and dedication really deserves the best wishes for this victory. I assure you again, every promise made to the public will be fulfilled at the earliest," he added.
Congress Wins Majority With 38 Seats
The Congress has bagged 38 seats in Himachal Pradesh and maintains leads in two more to get majority in the hill state. Their rival BJP has won 18 seats, with leads in 7 more, according to the latest Election Commission figures.
'Will Keep Working': Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned extensively throught the state, tweeted, "I thank the people of Himachal Pradesh for the affection and support for the BJP. We will keep working to fulfil (sic) the aspirations of the state and raise people’s issues in the times to come."
6-Time Congress MLA Asha Kumari Loses
Six-time Congress MLA Asha Kumari was defeated by BJP candidate DS Thakur defeated in the Dalhousie assembly seat by a margin of 9,918 votes, according to the Election Commission.
Kumari was among the chief ministerial probables in Himachal.
‘Lost the HP Polls by Less Than 1 Percent’: Outgoing CM Thakur
After submitting his resignation, outgoing CM Jairam Thakur claimed that the "BJP lost the Himachal Pradesh polls by less than 1% vote share, and Congress won with least vote share in the state's history."
He added, "But I respect the poll results. Hope Congress elects their CM soon & starts working for the statement."
Congress Bags 40 Seats, BJP Wins 23 With 2 Leads
According to the latest Election Commission figures, the Congress has won 40 seats and crossed the majority mark, while the incumbent BJP have secured victory in 23 seats. The party is also leading two constituencies as of 6:30 pm.
Outgoing CM Jairam Thakur Wins From Seraj
Outgoing CM Jairam Thakur, who submitted his resignation to the governor a few hours ago, has retained his Assembly seat from the Seraj constituency for a 6th time.
Thakur defeated the Congress' Chet Ram by a margin of 38,183 votes.
PM Modi's Address on Election Results
"I want to thank Election Commission for conducting elections peacefully. As far as I know, re-polling in any poll booth was not required," PM Modi said during an address at the BJP's Headquarters in Delhi.
"I also want to thank the voters of Himachal. The difference between the number of votes for BJP & Congress was less than 1 percent," he added.
Counting for Himachal Election Concludes
According to the election commission website, the final numbers for the Himachal Pradesh elections are as follows:
Indian National Congress: 40 seats
Bharatiya Janata Party: 25 seats
Independents: 03 seats
'MLAs will choose their leader': Himachal Cong Prez Pratibha Singh
Himachal Congress President Pratibha Virbhadra Singh said, "MLAs will choose their leader, the decision will be informed to party's high command"
"I'm not saying that I'm in the race for CM but we've won this poll in the name of late Virbhadra Singh. You can't neglect him & his family," she added.