Himachal election results 2022: Five key seats to watch out for

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Himachal Pradesh is set to reveal Thursday if its voters have bucked the anti-incumbency trend and re-elected the ruling party -- something that has not happened after 1985.

Going by Himachal Pradesh's "riwaaj", or tradition, it should be the Congress' turn to form the next government.

But with all but two exit polls predicting an edge for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, pollsters are keenly watching which way the voters have decided in the closely fought contest.

Himachal Pradesh has not returned any incumbent government to power after 1985, a trend the ruling BJP, powered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personalised campaign, hopes to break.

Of 55 lakh voters in the state, over 75 per cent exercised their franchise in the November 12 election to elect its 68-member assembly and government. A total of 412 candidates are in the fray in this election.

In the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP had won 44 seats and the Congress 21, with one seat going to CPI-M, and two to independent candidates.

Also Read: Himachal Pradesh election results: Five candidates to watch out for

Here are key constituencies to watch out for:

Seraj:

Seraj comes under the Mandi district and it is one of the 68 Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly constituencies. Incumbent chief minister Jai Ram Thakur is an MLA from the Seraj assembly seat and it has been a BJP stronghold constituency, with Thakur retaining it in each election after winning the seat for the first time in 1998. The Congress has fielded Chet Ram Thakur, who lost to the CM by 11,254 votes in the 2017 Assembly elections, as its candidate.

Haroli:

Leader of the Opposition and former journalist Mukesh Agnihotri has been winning the constituency since 2003 and is seen as one of the chief ministerial candidates for the Congress. The BJP has pitted state spokesperson Ram Kumar against him.

Shimla Rural:

Shimla Rural comes under the Shimla district. Vikramaditya Singh, son of late six-time Congress CM Virbhadra Singh, is seeking a second term from the constituency. The BJP has fielded Ravi Mehta from the seat.

Shahpur:

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary has been re-nominated by the BJP from Kangra's Shahpur. The Congress has given the ticket to Kewal Singh Pathania, who came third in 2017.

Kasauli:

A three-time MLA from Kasauli, Rajiv Saizal is the Minister for Family Welfare, Health and Ayurveda and is the BJP's candidate from the constituency. He will face Vinod Sultanpuri of Congress whom he had defeated the last two times.

(With inputs from PTI)