Himachal Pradesh Election Results 2024 updates: BJP sweeps polls, wins all 4 seats

The BJP on Tuesday made a clean sweep in Himachal Pradesh, winning all four Lok Sabha seats.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur won for the fifth time in a row from the Hamirpur Lok sabha seat, actor Kangana Ranaut and Rajiv Bharadwaj made their maiden debut from Mandi and Kangra seats while former BJP state president Suresh Kashyap retained his Shimla seat.

The Congress not only failed to retain the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, which was wrested by state Congress chief Pratibha in the by-election in 2021 but its dream to recapture the stronghold of Shimla (SC) seat was also shattered as the BJP won the seat for the fourth time in a row.

However, the margin of victory, which was 4,77,623 in Kangra, 4.05,559 in Mandi, 3,99,572 in Hamirpur and 3,27,515 in Shimla (SC) in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, shrunk to 2,51,895 in Kangra, 7,4755 in Mandi, 1,82,357 in Hamirpur and 9,05,48 in Shimla, respectively.

Accepting the party’s defeat in four Lok Sabha seats in the state, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Pratibha Singh on Tuesday said the election results did not come as per expectation and the reason behind defeat would be reviewed.

Expressing gratitude to the voters who cast their votes in favour of her party in the Lok Sabha elections, she said the Congress has never backed down from its responsibility and will never do so.

The Congress leader congratulated all the BJP candidates, who won in the Lok Sabha elections, and expressed hope that they would make a significant contribution to the development of the state in accordance with public aspirations.

She also congratulated the Congress leaders, who won the by-elections in the state, and said that their victory has further strengthened the Congress government in the state.

BJP candidate Rajiv Bharadwaj on Tuesday won the Kangra Lok Sabha seat, defeating former Union minister and Congress nominee Anand Sharma by a margin of 2,51,895 votes.

Bharadwaj, a close relative of former chief minister Shanta Kumar, polled 6,32,793 votes against 3,80,898 votes garnered by Sharma.

Making his debut in the elections at 62, the grassroots BJP worker, who is a doctor by profession, connected with the electorate as a local while Sharma hailing from Shimla carried an “outsider” tag.

The Congress on Tuesday won the bypolls to three assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh and was ahead in one, while the BJP won two seats, according to the Election Commission.

BJP candidate from the Barsar Assembly seat Inder Dutt Lakhanpal won by a margin of 2,125 votes, defeating the Congress’ Subash Chand.

The BJP’s Sudhir Sharma won the assembly bypolls from Dharamshala, defeating his nearest rival and Congress candidate Devinder Singh Jaggi by a margin of 5,526 votes.

Congress candidates from the Lahaul and Spiti, Sujanpur and Gagret seats have also won the by-elections while its candidate was leading in Kutlehar.

In a triangular contest in the Lahaul and Spiti bypoll, Congress candidate Anuradha Rana defeated her nearest rival and Independent candidate Ram Lal Markanda by a margin of 1,960 votes.

BJP candidate from Kutlehar assembly seat Davinder Bhutto, one of the six Congress rebels, on Tuesday lost to his Congress’ rival Vivek Sharma by a margin of 5,356 votes.

Sharma polled 3,68,53 votes while Bhutto managed to get 3,14,97, according to teh Election Commission data. A total of four candidates were in the fray from this seat.

Kutlehar is one of the six assembly constituencies which fell vacant after six Congress rebels voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in Rajya Sabha polls and were later disqualified by the speaker for defying the whip by the Congress.

Kangana Ranaut gets her first term as a parliamentarian from Mandi, while Anurag Thakur holds on to Hamirpur.

Ms. Ranaut is leading by a margin of over 70,000 votes in her constituency. She, however, is already celebrating her victory.

In a post on social media, Ms. Ranaut thanked the people of Mandi for her win. “This win belongs to you [the people], to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to faith in BJP, to Sanatan, and to the honour of Mandi,” she said.

“I am thankful to the Congress party leadership and colleagues who trusted me and I accepted the party’s decision knowing that Kangra was a BJP bastion. I am grateful to the people of Kangra and Chamba for their love and affection,” he was quoted as saying by PTI. 

BJP candidate Rajeev Bhardwaj is leading in Kangra.

Himachal Pradesh registered a 68.48% voter turnout this time for its four seats, which in 2019 was 72.42%. Simultaneous byelections for six Assembly seats were also held in Himachal, which saw a voter turnout of 69%.

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The BJP has fielded actors such as Kangana Ranaut (Mandi, Himachal Pradesh), Hema Malini (Mathura, Uttar Pradesh), Suresh Gopi (Thrissur, Kerala), and several others across the country. The TMC has also fielded actors and sportspersons, including former cricketers Yusuf Pathan (Bahrampore) and Kirti Azad (Bardhaman-Durgapur), in its stronghold of West Bengal.

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Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut is leading over Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh, the titular king of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr. Historically, the Mandi constituency has favoured scions of erstwhile princely states, electing royals in 13 out of 19 elections, including two bypolls since 1952.

During her campaign, Ms. Ranaut targeted Mr. Singh and said, ““Yeh tumhare baap-dada ki riyasat nahin hai, ke tum mujhe dara, dhamka ke vapis bhej doge [This is not the estate of your father or grandfather that you will threaten me and send me back].”

BJP appears set to sweep Himachal Pradesh as it leads in all four Lok Sabha constituencies. 

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who is contesting her first-ever election on a BJP ticket from her home constituency Mandi, is ahead of Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh.

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting in India is the current Lok Sabha candidate from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur constituency and is ahead in the 2024 general elections too, as per early trends. 

Mr. Thakur has served as the Hamirpur MP in Lok Sabha for three full terms, since 2009. He was first elected as an MP in the 2008 bypoll.

BJP candidates Kangana Ranaut from Mandi, Suresh Kumar Kashyap from Shimla, and Rajeev Bhardwaj from Kangra emerge as frontrunners in their constituencies as first leads pour in.