As of Thursday, December 8 at 8:00 am, the Election Commission (EC) started the process of counting the votes for 68 assembly seats in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are engaged in a bitter election contest in the state, which went to the polls in a single round on November 12. A new player in the contest is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
According to official ECI data, in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress party is leading on 39 seats (majority mark is 35), and the BJP has won one seat with Chief Minister Jairam Thakur winning in Seraj while the party is leading on 26 seats. Independent candidates are leading in 3 assembly constituencies.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections live updates:
Bharatiya Janata Party: 26
Congress: 39
AAP: 0
Others: 3
Meanwhile, BJP’s Rakesh Kumar won Sundernagar seat in Mandi. Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania is leading from Fatehpur. In Kangra, Congress and BJP lead 7 seats each, Independent is leading 1seat. Sudhir Sharma (INC) is leading from Dharamshala by 3,775 votes. BJP’s Puran Chand is leading against Congress’ Kaul Singh by a margin of 540 votes from Darang seat. BJP’s Sanjay Guleria is leading against Chandar Kumar by 1322 votes from Jawalamukhi seat. BJP’s Chetan Singh is leading against Rohit Thakur by maring of 423 votes from Jubbal Kotkhai seat. Congress’ Jagat Singh is leading against BJP’s Surat Negi by margin of 508 votes from Kinnaur seat. Congress’ Khimi Ram is leading against Surendra Chaudhary by 286 votes from Banjar seat. KL Thakur, a BJP rebel, is leading in Nalagarh.
BJP’s Hoshiyar Singh is leading from Dehra seat. Congress’s rebel Ashish Kumar is ahead in Hamirpur.
According to media reports, BJP leaders are trying to establish contact with independents who are leading in election.
After 2.5 hours into counting both BJP and Congress are in neck-and-neck fight.