Unlike Punjab where there was no change in guard after the polls this year, Himachal Pradesh repeated its tradition of changing the government every five years. The Congress won 36 out of the 68 seats.
The BJP which was contesting the election on Mission Repeat and development plank managed to win only 26 seats while six seats were won by others. No party has been able to form the government successively since 1983 in the state. Riding on the anti-incumbency wave, the Congress managed to get the majority despite starting its campaign late due to change of guard in the party hierarchy.
The Congress was brought into contest by five-time chief minister and former union minister Virbhadra Singh, who campaigned aggressively in all 68 constituencies, without even a single day’s gap. Virbhadra Singh also managed to woo its detractors like veteran Congress leader Vidya Stokes, former telecom minister Pandit Shukh Ram and gave tickets to Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, his long time friend-turned-foe from Shahpur in Kangra district, giving an impression of unity.
The focus which Virbhadra Singh laid on Kangra district by bringing in Mankotia and giving ticket to Octogenarian Brij Bihari Lal Butail paid him massive dividends and the party managed to win crucial ten seats.
While, the Congress had a setback in its stronghold Sirmour, where it lost three seats to the BJP and one to an independent, it got support in tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba where it managed to win all the seats. Virbhadra Singh, who himself contested the election from newly created seat Shimla (rural), won by over 20,000 votes while chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who contested from his traditional Hamirpur seat, had to face tough fight from Congress candidate Narendra Thakur.
If the Congress was united and distributed its tickets judicially, the BJP was plagued by infighting and a tough fight was put up by 15 strong rebels, who contested against the official candidates.
Jubilant over the party’s show, Virbhadra Singh said that had he got some more time for campaigning, the tally could have crossed 40 seats but still he is happy. ‘With a broom in my hand I will clear the dirt spread during the BJP regime,’ he said.
He, however, made it clear that he will not get involved in any kind of vendetta politics but will try to clear the rot in the police and the bureaucracy.
The BJP which was contesting the election on Mission Repeat and development plank managed to win only 26 seats while six seats were won by others. No party has been able to form the government successively since 1983 in the state. Riding on the anti-incumbency wave, the Congress managed to get the majority despite starting its campaign late due to change of guard in the party hierarchy.
The Congress was brought into contest by five-time chief minister and former union minister Virbhadra Singh, who campaigned aggressively in all 68 constituencies, without even a single day’s gap. Virbhadra Singh also managed to woo its detractors like veteran Congress leader Vidya Stokes, former telecom minister Pandit Shukh Ram and gave tickets to Major Vijay Singh Mankotia, his long time friend-turned-foe from Shahpur in Kangra district, giving an impression of unity.
The focus which Virbhadra Singh laid on Kangra district by bringing in Mankotia and giving ticket to Octogenarian Brij Bihari Lal Butail paid him massive dividends and the party managed to win crucial ten seats.
While, the Congress had a setback in its stronghold Sirmour, where it lost three seats to the BJP and one to an independent, it got support in tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba where it managed to win all the seats. Virbhadra Singh, who himself contested the election from newly created seat Shimla (rural), won by over 20,000 votes while chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who contested from his traditional Hamirpur seat, had to face tough fight from Congress candidate Narendra Thakur.
If the Congress was united and distributed its tickets judicially, the BJP was plagued by infighting and a tough fight was put up by 15 strong rebels, who contested against the official candidates.
Jubilant over the party’s show, Virbhadra Singh said that had he got some more time for campaigning, the tally could have crossed 40 seats but still he is happy. ‘With a broom in my hand I will clear the dirt spread during the BJP regime,’ he said.
He, however, made it clear that he will not get involved in any kind of vendetta politics but will try to clear the rot in the police and the bureaucracy.