Himachal Pradesh result live updates | Counting starts in what may turn out to be a tight contest between BJP, Congress
Counting of votes for Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections in progress at a center in Shimla, on Dec. 8, 2022.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Himachal Pradesh registered an approximate polling percentage of 75.6%, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). Exit polls have predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will again form the government in Himachal Pradesh, but it may turn out to be a tight contest.
The incumbent BJP government is seeking re-election in the State which has alternated power between it and Congress for over three decades now. A total of 412 candidates are in the fray, of which 24 are women.
Here are the live updates on election results of Gujarat.
Here are the updates of the results:
CM Jai Ram Thakur leads in Seraj
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Jai Ram Thakur, the current Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh leads in his constituency Seraj, by 3763 votes.
As the ruling BJP aims to retain power in the State with its ‘Mission Repeat’, Mr. Thakur asserted that the BJP’s battle is with Congress. He said the AAP doesn’t even exist in Himachal and moreover, people have “lost confidence in AAP after their disappointing governance in neighbouring Punjab”.
The five-time BJP MLA was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in 2017.
A look at the Himachal Pradesh seat share from 1982-2017
BJP hopes to set new records in Himachal Pradesh
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.
Most of the exit polls have predicted an edge for the ruling BJP in the State in the closely contested elections.
Counting begins for 68 seats in H.P.
As the counting of votes begins in Himachal Pradesh, the stage may be set for anxiously close battles in several constituencies of this hill State, given the nail-biting finish of the 2017 polls.
The electoral battle in Himachal Pradesh will largely be between traditional rivals BJP and the Congress, though the entry of the AAP may tilt the equation in quite a few seats. The results of the high-stakes elections will also reveal whether the BJP’s all-out personalized campaign led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to buck the ‘alternative government’ trend has worked or not.
For the opposition Congress, however, 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.
Counting of votes to start at 8 a.m.
More than 10,000 security personnel, returning officers, and other support staff will oversee the counting of votes for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election on Thursday.
The counting will start at 8 a.m. in 68 counting halls spread across 59 locations throughout the State, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Maneesh Garg said on Wednesday. The counting will start with the postal ballot at 8 a.m., followed by EVM counting at 8.30 a.m. Mr. Garg said that subject to the availability of space, a maximum of 14 counting tables and a minimum of eight counting tables will be placed in the counting halls, with a separate table to accommodate nearly 500 postal ballots.
There will also be separate tables for scanning of electronically transmitted postal ballots linked to computers for counting. About 76.44% of voters had exercised their franchise in the Assembly polls held on November 12.
No candidate or any other person will be allowed within 100 meters of counting centers except those with a valid identity card/pass issued by the Election Commission of India. A system will be put in place for receiving counting related information and complaints at the CEO office. A helpline number 1950 has been made active.
