The Congress has returned to power in Himachal Pradesh, proving once again the state's decades-old 'tradition' of voting out a government after a single term. The BJP did try very hard to break this cyclical pattern. Party chief JP Nadda held some 50 rallies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held five rallies, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held 20 rallies and union minister Anurag Thakur even shed tears.
Incumbent Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has accepted defeat and said they will "continue to play a positive role".
Of 55 lakh voters in the state, over 75 per cent voted in the November 12 election to elect its 68-member assembly and government. A total of 412 candidates were in the fray in this election.
Here are the Highlights from Himachal Pradesh Election Results:
Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot -- who played a key role in the 2018 elections in Rajasthan -- has been credited with a "critical role" in the Congress's big surge in Himachal Pradesh by party leader Rajiv Shukla. Mr Pilot was the Congress in-charge for state where the party conducted a low-key campaign. His political rival, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, was in charge of Gujarat, where the Congress is heading for its worst-ever defeat.
After the BJP lost power in Himachal Pradesh to the Congress - somewhat souring its mega win in Gujarat - Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who is MP from the hill state, came under fire on social media from BJP supporters blaming him for the party's infighting. Congress workers also jumped in on the trend, gloating, as did observers who sought to put the BJP loss into a wider context.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Jairam Thakur has won the Seraj assembly constituency by a margin of more than 31,000 votes over Chet Ram of the Congress, according to the Election Commission. Mr Thakur, 57, won this seat for the sixth time even though the BJP lost power to the Congress this election.
Himachal Pradesh has not returned any incumbent government to power in the last nearly four decades.
BJP candidate DS Thakur defeated six-time Congress MLA Asha Kumari in Himachal Pradesh's Dalhousie assembly seat by a margin of 9,918 votes, according to the Election Commission. Asha Kumari was among the chief ministerial probables in Himachal Pradesh with trends showing the Congress surging ahead of the BJP on 39 of the total 68 seats in the hill state.
Conceding defeat in Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Thursday submitted his resignation to the governor, official sources said. "I respect the mandate. In a short while, I am going to hand over my resignation to the governor," Mr Thakur told reporters shortly before handing over his resignation to the Governor.
The Congress appeared to be heading to achieve majority in the hill state as it surged ahead of the BJP, winning 32 seats and leading in 7 others.
यह जीत आप सबकी है।
- Congress (@INCIndia) December 8, 2022
धन्यवाद हिमाचल प्रदेश pic.twitter.com/0DxwVHO48q
#VLOG | "Pratibha Singh Should Get...": In Himachal Congress, Battle On For Chief Minister
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
NDTV's Saurabh Shukla reports
LIVE Updates: https://t.co/nP8lpohLVq#HimachalElectionResults2022 #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/kYcxdPyGDN
The Congress is leading in 39 seats as the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) conceded defeat in the Himachal Pradesh Election.
I will tender my resignation to the Governor in a short while from now: Outgoing Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur #HimachalElectionResults2022 pic.twitter.com/xiVpoEjYb4
- ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2022
#WATCH | Congress party workers celebrate in Shimla after Congress crosses the majority mark of 35 seats in Himachal Pradesh amid the ongoing counting of the votes in the state.#HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/1TklhepVnU
- ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2022
#ResultsWithNDTV | Himachal Election trends at 2:21 pm. https://t.co/QZmvOvcNwc #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/cAMiKAfRli
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
हिमाचल विधानसभा चुनाव में कांग्रेस की प्रचंड जीत के लिए समस्त हिमाचलवासियों व पार्टी कार्यकर्ताओं को हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं।
- Himachal Congress (@INCHimachal) December 8, 2022
यह जीत आप सब की है।#जीत_गई_है_कांग्रेस@INCIndia @kharge @RahulGandhi@priyankagandhi @ShuklaRajiv pic.twitter.com/i2m9E6TumV
#WATCH | Congress party workers celebrate at the Delhi office of the party after Congress crosses the majority mark of 35 seats In Himachal Pradesh amid the ongoing counting of the votes in the state.#HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/Cb3d3X4s2x
- ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2022
Sweets are being distributed among Congress workers in Shimla as the party leads in 40 seats in Himachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/wWnNXg6x83
- ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2022
#ResultsWithNDTV | In Himachal, BJP's Anil Sharma wins Mandi seat, Suresh Bhardwaj and Sarveen Choudhary lose Kasumpti and Shahpur respectively
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
LIVE Updates: https://t.co/nP8lpo0ITq#HimachalPradeshElections #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/Aq5CwZUdDV
#ResultsWithNDTV | Himachal Election trends at 12:01 pm. https://t.co/QZmvOuUEi4 #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/soFWTD4vc5
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
#ResultsWithNDTV | Himachal Election trends at 11:07 am. https://t.co/QZmvOuUEi4 #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/vttkJuf2eI
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
After an early lead for the ruling BJP, the Congress is nearing majority in Himachal Pradesh. Stakes are higher for the Congress as its chances in Gujarat are dim. The BJP is fighting the tradition of the state changing its government every election.
Election trends at 9:55 am show a neck-and-neck contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh.
#ResultsWithNDTV | Himachal Election trends at 9:35 am. https://t.co/QZmvOvcNwc #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/34cNLjwXBU
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
#ResultsWithNDTV | Himachal Election trends at 9:29 am. https://t.co/QZmvOuUEi4 #ElectionResults pic.twitter.com/YWjHoE3gOi
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
#ResultsWithNDTV | #HimachalPradeshElections leads are not looking good right now for BJP.
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
The party is neck-and-neck with the Congress and down at least 10 seats.
#ResultsWithNDTV | "Too early to say anything...but it is getting very close": Vipin Pubby, Senior Journalist, on the close contest between BJP and Congress in Himachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/cZOYAMa04r
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
Counting of votes on 68 seats in Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections underway
- ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2022
Visuals from Govt Girls' Sr Sec School, Shimla pic.twitter.com/mHN3F90Obr
#ResultsWithNDTV | Is the BJP set for a record 7th term in Gujarat and can the Congress make a comeback in Himachal?
- NDTV (@ndtv) December 8, 2022
Counting of votes begins for #GujaratElections and #HimachalPradeshElections
Here. We. Go.
📺 https://t.co/3r7TEZ64pS
📱 https://t.co/4zrsab95zq
Shimla, HP | Counting of votes for Himachal Pradesh assembly elections will begin at 8 am. Outside visuals from counting centre, Government Girls Senior Secondary School pic.twitter.com/oNntMmLbG7
- ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2022
In a direct contest between the ruling BJP and a confident Congress, Himachal Pradesh will today decide if history persists or is rewritten in its election results. Stakes are higher for the Congress as its chances in Gujarat are already dim.
The emergence of the Aam Aadmi Party as the third major political force in the state has intensified the electoral battle in Himachal Pradesh this time.