LIVE: Congress leads in Mandi Lok Sabha and all 3 Assembly bypolls in Himachal

Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 2

A strong undercurrent against the BJP on the issue of price rise and unemployment seems to have tilted the scales in favour of the Congress, whose candidates have gained comfortable leads in Arki, Fatehpur  and Jubbal Kotkhai Assembly segments.

The most upsetting trend for the BJP is on the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, the home turf of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur where Congress candidate Pratibha Singh is maintaining a lead of about 7,300 votes. Contrary to expectations of the BJP getting a huge lead from Mandi district, the ruling party is getting marginal leads from its strongholds in the counting trend so far.

It is a close fight in Mandi where the decision could go in anybody’s favour. Pratibha Singh has got a lead of over 13,000 votes from her home Assembly segment of Rampur. The BJP has got a lead of almost 18,000 votes from Seraj, the segment represented by CM Thakur.

In Fatehpur Assembly segment in Kangra, Congress candidate Bhawani Pathania is leading by 1,200 votes over his nearest BJP rival Baldev Thakur.

The fight in Jubbal-Kotkhai seems to be going in favour of Rohit Thakur of the Congress who has gained a lead of over 4,000 votes over his nearest rival, Chetan Bragta, a BJP rebel. The BJP’s performance has been dismal with its candidate Neelam Sarek performing miserably.

Live Updates

Mandi: Congress’s Pratibha Singh 2,96,673; BJP’s Khushal Thakur 2,89,362.

Dharamsala: After round 11, BJP’s Baldev Thakur 10,504; Congress’s Bhawani Singh Pathania: 9,643; Rajan Sushant Independent 5,846.

Solan: Congress candidate Sanjay Awasthi ahead by 3,994 votes after 11th round in Arki Assembly segment.

Dharamsala: Fathepur byelections after 7th round: Baldev Thakur BJP 6,844 votes; Bhawani Pathania Congress 5,872 votes; Rajan Sushant Independent: 3,345 votes.

Solan: Congress candidate Sanjay Awasthi ahead by 3,370 votes in Arki Assembly segment after eighth round.

Dharamsala: After 6th round, BJP candidate Baldev Thakur attains a lead of 800 votes over Congress candidate Bhawani Pathania in Fatehpur Assembly constituency.

Dharamsala: After 5th round, BJP candidate Baldev Thakur attains a lead of 600 votes over Congress candidate Bhawani Singh Pathania in Fatehpur Assembly constituency.

Solan: Congress candidate Sanjay Awasthi ahead by 2,659 votes in Arki Assembly segment after sixth round.

Solan: Congress candidate Sanjay Awasthi ahead by 2,239 votes after fifth round in Arki Assembly segment.

Mandi: Congress ahead by 1,316 votes in Mandi Lok Sabha constituency.

Solan: Congress candidate Sanjay Awasthi ahead by 1,942 votes after fourth round in Arki.

Shimla: Independent candidate Bragta leading by 337 votes in Jubbal Kotkhai after third round.

Mandi: BJP ahead by 4,099 votes after second round in Mandi Lok Sabha constituency.

Dharamsala: Congress candidate Bhawani Singh Pathania ahead by 100 votes after first round in Fatehpur Assembly segment.

Solan: Congress’s Sanjay Awasthi ahead by 735 votes after first round in Arki Assembly segment

Shimla: BJP rebel Chetan Bragta leading by 320 votes after second round in Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly segment.

Mandi: Congress candidate Pratibha Singh ahead by 1,629 votes in Mandi parliamentary constituency. TNS