BJP is set to form government in Himachal Pradesh
SHIMLA/ NEW DELHI : Cashing in on the anti-incumbency wave in Himachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the Assembly election with a huge margin. The saffron party won 44 Assembly seats in the 68-member Assembly House while the Congress party could win just 21 seats.
The BJP is set to form the next government in Himachal Pradesh, winning 44 out of 68 seats while Congress could muster only 21, and wresting the state from the Congress. The saffron party, however, suffered a loss as its CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal lost in his Sujanpur constituency. The party now faces the challenge to find a replacement for Dhumal. Dhumal faced an embarrassing defeat from Congress’ Rajinder Rana at Sujanpur.
BJP MLA Virender Kanwar who won from Kutlehar seat earlier said he would offer his seat to Prem Kumar Dhumal. The defeat will be a big embarrassment for the BJP.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people of the state for posing trust in the BJP and assured of all-around development of the state. Recent elections results have proven that the country is ready for reform, is looking towards things that perform in a positive way and believes in transformation: PM Narendra Modi said at BJP Headquarters today.
The exit polls had also predicted a BJP victory, true to the alternating victory cycle, but that can’t be considered the writing on the wall-exit polls have often been proved wrong in the past.
The November 9 elections witnessed a record voter turnout of over 75 per cent. 
A party will need to bag 35 seats in the 68-member house to gain majority in the state. A total of 377 candidates contested for the 68 seats in this election. While the BJP and Congress fielded candidates on all seats, the BSP contested 42 seats followed by the CPI(M) 14, the Swabhiman party and the Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3.
Back in 2012, the Congress had won an outright majority with 36 of the 68 seats while the BJP had lagged behind with 26 seats in its
kitty.
Meanwhile,The Congress party accepts the verdict of the people and congratulates the new governments in both states. I thank the people of Gujarat and Himachal with all my heart for the love they showed me, tweets Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
He also thanked the party workers for their tireless efforts. Taking to twitter, hge said, “My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud. You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage.”
