Shimla: The fate of 337 candidates including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his predecessor Prem Kumar Dhumal will be known on Monday as counting of votes is taken up in Himachal Pradesh where traditional rivals BJP and Congress have contested all 68 seats.
The hill state witnessed a record 75.28 percent turnout and pollsters have predicted a BJP victory.
Adequate security arrangements have been made for counting which would start simultaneously in all 68 constituencies at 42 counting centres.
File image of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Getty images
Corruption was the main focus of the BJP campaign with the party training its guns at Chief Minister Singh, while the Congress hit out at the BJP over the issue of GST and demonetisation.
The BSP contested 42 seats followed by the CPM 14, the Swabhiman party and the Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI-3.
Out of 67 sitting MLAs, 60 MLAS, nine cabinet ministers, HPCC president Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu, state BJP chief, Satpal Singh Satti, Deputy Speaker, Jagat Singh Negi and eight Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) contested the poll along with a dozen former ministers.
Himachal Pradesh has a tradition of change in government after every elections and going by the trend, this time, it is the turn of the BJP which is upbeat after exit poll results.
There are 25 Congress, 28 BJP and four independent MLAs in the outgoing house while one seat was lying vacant after death of former minister Karan Singh from Banjar.
Sitting Rajya Sabha member Viplov Thakur (Congress), former Lok Sabha members, Chander Kumar (Congress) and Dr Rajan Shushant (Independent) and former Rajya Sabha member Kripal Parmar (BJP) are also among key contestants.
While the BJP is confident of winning the polls with a comfortable majority, the Congress has rejected the exit-polls and claimed that it was all set to repeat.
The BJP ousted the Congress in 1990 and the Congress avenged defeat in 1993. The BJP formed the government with the help of Himachal Vikas Congress in 1998 and the Congress was back in power in 2003. The BJP made a comeback in 2007.
2,820 counting staff has been deployed for tomorrow's exercise which includes counting supervisors, counting assistants and micro observers.
Chief Electoral Officer, Pushpender Rajput said three-tier security arrangements have been made at all counting centres.
He said wire mesh barricading has been done at counting centers and there was a separate entry passage for counting staff and counting agents.
Videography and CCTV coverage will be done in all counting centres.
With inputs from agencies
Published Date: Dec 18, 2017 12:50 pm | Updated Date: Dec 18, 2017 01:28 pm
Highlights
Here's an infographic on BJP, Congress trends till 1 pm
BJP leads in 38 seats, Congress ahead in 18 seats
BJP's Paramjeet Singh wins Doon
Latest Himachal Pradesh election results:
BJP leads in 38 seats, Congress ahead in 25, according to CNN-News18
CPM's Rakesh Singha wins Theog constituency
Firm responsible for webcasting on election day lacks manpower, technical support
According to a report in Hindustan Times, the state election body has written to the EC that webcasting in Himachal Pradesh was done from just 500 polling booths as against the target of 2,307 poll booths. The report states that the reason behind this was the lack of manpower and technical support at Epitome Corporation Ltd, the Gujarat-based firm responsible for webcasting during the election.
BJP wins another seat in Anni
Hoshiyar Singh (Indepedent), Dehra and Kishori Lal (BJP), Anni have won. Lal beat Congress' Paras Ram by 5,983 votes.
BJP leads in 42 seats
'Party's politics beyond electoral wins', says BJP spokesperson RP Singh
According to News18, BJP spokesperson RP Singh said the win in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh is important but the party’s politics is beyond electoral wins. “We are running the government for the nation. Elections are important but as Modi ji puts it we are working to take the nation ahead on the global stage.”
Here's an infographic on BJP, Congress trends since counting began at 8 am
Congress bags Kasumpti
Anirudh Singh of Kasumpti constituency has won.
First wins pour in; BJP wins Jaisinghpur, Balh constituency
BJP candidates Ravinder Kumar (Jaisinghpur) and Inter Singh (Balh) have won in Himachal Pradesh.
Here is a trajectory of leads till now
BJP leading in 12 seats, Congress in 5: CNN-News18
According to Times Now, BJP leads in 19 seats while Congress leads in 10. India Today TV says BJP leads in 18 seats while Congress leads in 10. According to NDTV, BJP leads in 14 seats while Congress leads in 5.
What is VVPAT and how does it eliminate scope for manipulation of EVM machines?
VVPAT, short for Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail, is a small paper printout that the voters get once they exercise their franchise by pressing the relevant EVM machine button. This has been introduced because all Opposition parties, especially Aam Aadmi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, created a ruckus post the historic win BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Their claim was that EVMs had been programmed in such a way that whatever button one presses on the EVM machine the vote is registered in favour of the BJP. The paper trail makes that impossible not to be noticed. Voters can instantly verify if the candidate they voted for is the real recipient of their vote. If, for example I voted for Candidate/party X, but my vote vent to Candidate/party Y, the VVPAT immediately shows up the error or manipulation. The voter can instantly lodge a complaint. So what’s the merit of the Congress’ tampering claims? That’s coming up soon.
Here's an infographic on what the exit polls have said:
13:28 (IST)
BJP leads in 43 seats, Congress ahead in 20
13:26 (IST)
WATCH: Gabbar Singh Tax jibe failed, says Nirmala Sitharaman
13:24 (IST)
Maharashtra BJP workers celebrate in Pune
13:21 (IST)
EVMs, VVPATs cannot be tampered with, says ex-CEC HS Brahma
"I firmly believe that our EVMs, VVPATs cannot be tampered with. This matter should be closed once and for all as it is tried and tested. EVM is a standalone machine, question of hacking doesn't arise" former Chief Election Commissioner of India, HS Brahma told ANI.
13:18 (IST)
Celebrations break out in Jammu
13:12 (IST)
BJP winning because of EVMs, says Congress' Sanjay Nirupam
Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam today said the BJP's victory in Gujarat was not because of the people in the state but because of EVMs. He also termed electronic voting machines a "big threat to Indian democracy".
-PTI
13:10 (IST)
False alarm: Dhumal supporters celebrate his 'lead' before realising he is still trailing
As per an Indian Express report, BJP workers at Prem Kumar Dhumal's residence in Samirpur began celebrating after hearing he was leading by 4,400 votes. However, as the eighth round of counting continues, Dhumal is still trailing.
13:03 (IST)
Here's an infographic on BJP, Congress trends till 1 pm
13:00 (IST)
Rahul Gandhi reaches Parliament
12:55 (IST)
Scene outside Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's residence
12:51 (IST)
BJP leads in 38 seats, Congress ahead in 18 seats
12:48 (IST)
BJP wins seven seats, Congress two so far
12:42 (IST)
BJP's Paramjeet Singh wins Doon
12:40 (IST)
'Victory of development', says Union minister Smriti Irani
Speaking to the media, Union minister Smriti Irani said, "It is a matter of happiness for us, this is the victory of development." On the Congress giving a tough fight she said, "Jo jeeta wohi sikandar. It is victory of every booth worker's hard work and the people who trusted development."
12:34 (IST)
Yogi Adityanath congratulates Narendra Modi, Amit Shah on Himachal Pradesh victory
"I congratulate PM Modi and Amit Shah on Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh victory. It is an answer to those who were raising questions about Gujarat's development," Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath told News18.
12:32 (IST)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi leaves his New Delhi residence
12:30 (IST)
As per EC website, BJP has won two seats, Congress one
12:29 (IST)
Latest Himachal Pradesh election results:
12:26 (IST)
Fiscal situation, GST, inflation to impact stock markets hereon
Rakesh Arora, Managing Director and Head of Research, Macquarie Capital Securities says that the markets will continue to be in a stable mode as the results so far show that the BJP is leading. "A positive outcome will not push up the markets but a negative outcome would have been for the markets," said Arora.
The markets will look at the fiscal situation, GST collection figures and inflation (besides interstate changes), earnings among other things which will be the key drivers of the market hereon, Arora said.
12:23 (IST)
Congress candidate Vinay Kumar wins from Sri Renukaji constituency
12:22 (IST)
Markets recovers as trends signal BJP's win in Himachal Pradesh
12:20 (IST)
Sixth round of counting underway in Himachal Pradesh
According to the The Indian Express, the sixth round of counting of votes is currently underway. BJP's chief ministerial choice, Prem Kumar Dhumal is still trailing behind Congress' Rajender Rana in Sujanpur constituency.
12:18 (IST)
Sonia Gandhi meets newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi at his residence, as per CNN-News18
12:13 (IST)
BJP's Suresh Bharadwaj bags Shimla
Bharadwaj defeated Harish Janartha in Shimla seat by 1,903 votes. Reports also said that BJP's Sukh Ram has won Paonta Sahib constituency
12:12 (IST)
People in Mumbai celebrate BJP's projected win in Himachal Pradesh
12:08 (IST)
BJP leads in 38 seats as of 12 pm
12:06 (IST)
Anti-incumbency to continue in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has a tradition of change in government after every elections and going by the trend, this time it appears to be the turn of the BJP which is upbeat after the exit polls predicted a victory for the saffron party.
The BJP ousted the Congress in 1990 and the Congress avenged the defeat in 1993. The BJP formed the government with the help of Himachal Vikas Congress in 1998 and the Congress was back in power in 2003. The BJP made a comeback in 2007.
-PTI
12:04 (IST)
12:00 (IST)
'People of Himachal Pradesh have voted for development', says Ravi Shankar Prasad
"The people trust BJP. I want to wait for the final results but this is our victory. Narendra Modi became prime minister because of the people's blessings. People who think otherwise need to rethink. Rahul Gandhi did put up a good fight but the people of Gujarat and Himachal have voted for development," Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told CNN-News18.
11:57 (IST)
Delhi BJP workers celebrate as trends indicate win in Himachal Pradesh
11:53 (IST)
BJP leads in 38 seats, Congress ahead in 25, according to CNN-News18
11:48 (IST)
WATCH: 'Tide will turn in our favour again', says Congress leader Shashi Tharoor
11:45 (IST)
CPM's Rakesh Singha wins Theog constituency
11:42 (IST)
'BJP performing far better in Himachal Pradesh than Gujarat'
"Though only early leads are out, it looks like the BJP is performing on expected lines. It seems to be doing far better in Himachal Pradesh," said Sachidanand Shukla, chief economist, Mahindra & Mahindra. The results are a vindication of the government policies and reforms, Shukla felt.
11:40 (IST)
Firm responsible for webcasting on election day lacks manpower, technical support
According to a report in Hindustan Times, the state election body has written to the EC that webcasting in Himachal Pradesh was done from just 500 polling booths as against the target of 2,307 poll booths. The report states that the reason behind this was the lack of manpower and technical support at Epitome Corporation Ltd, the Gujarat-based firm responsible for webcasting during the election.
11:35 (IST)
Workers at BJP headquarters in Shimla celebrate as trends indicate party's win
11:30 (IST)
BJP heavyweight Ravinder Ravi loses from Dehra
Saffron party's Gulab Singh Thakur also lost from Joginder Nagar.
11:26 (IST)
BJP's Ravinder Kumar of Jaisinghpur wins
Reports further said that BJP's Inter Singh of Balh won and Congress' Anirudh Singh of Kasumpti won.
11:24 (IST)
Congress wins one seat, according to Election Commission
11:21 (IST)
BJP workers celebrate at party headquarters
11:16 (IST)
BJP workers in Madhya Pradesh celebrate as trends indicate saffron party's victory
11:13 (IST)
BJP leads in 41 seats as of 11 am
11:10 (IST)
WATCH: 'Will win in Himachal Pradesh', says BJP leader Ananth Kumar
11:08 (IST)
Party workers celebrate outside BJP headquarters in New Delhi
11:07 (IST)
BJP wins another seat in Anni
Hoshiyar Singh (Indepedent), Dehra and Kishori Lal (BJP), Anni have won. Lal beat Congress' Paras Ram by 5,983 votes.
11:04 (IST)
BJP leads by 30% in Bhattiyat
BJP leader Bikram Singh Jaryal is leading by a margin of 30% over Congress’ Kuldeep Singh Pathania in the Bhattiyat constituency, reported Hindustan Times.
11:00 (IST)
BJP leads in 41 seats, Congress ahead in 24 seats
10:59 (IST)
Congress trails in Dharamshala by 1,500 votes
As per The Indian Express:
Vijay Singh (Independent), Shahpur: Leads by 1,000 votes
Sudhir Sharma (Congress), Dharamshala: Trails by 1,500 votes
Mukesh Agnihotri (Congress), Haroli: Leads by 2,000 votes
Thakur Singh Bharmouri (Congress), Bharmour: Trails by 2,000 votes
10:53 (IST)
BJP leads in 42 seats
10:51 (IST)
'Party's politics beyond electoral wins', says BJP spokesperson RP Singh
According to News18, BJP spokesperson RP Singh said the win in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh is important but the party’s politics is beyond electoral wins. “We are running the government for the nation. Elections are important but as Modi ji puts it we are working to take the nation ahead on the global stage.”