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Himachal poll results: Former ministers Suresh Bhardwaj, Ram Lal Markanda lose
BJP leader Bhardwaj loses Kasumpti to Anirudh Singh of Congress, while Markanda defeated by Congress rival Ravi Thakur
Former Himachal Pradesh ministers and BJP leaders Suresh Bhardwaj and Ram Lal Markanda were defeated by their Congress rivals in Kasumpti and Lahaul and Spiti constituencies even as counting was underway for the 68-member assembly.
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Bhardwaj, the outgoing urban development minister, was defeated by sitting Congress MLA Anirudh Singh by 8,655 votes.
Bhardwaj was shifted to Kasumpti from Shimla (Urban) constituency, which he represented in the outgoing assembly.
Markanda, who was the tribal affairs minister in the Jairam Thakur cabinet, lost to his Congress rival, Ravi Thakur, by 1,616 votes, according to the Election Commission.
The counting of votes for the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections held on November 12 is underway. According to initial trends, the Congress has surged ahead of the BJP on 39 seats.
