Himachal Pradesh election result highlights: Congress wins 40 seats, returns to power; BJP claims 25

Congress supporters celebrating victory in Kullu. Himachal Pradesh, India on Thursday, December 8, 2022. (Photo by Aqil Khan/Hindustan Times)

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday accepted defeat in the hill state as the BJP won 25 seats and got dethroned. The Congress, which was leading in a majority of 68 seats, won 40 of them according to the final results released by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Follow complete coverage of Himachal Pradesh assembly election results here

The party that wins 35 seats is declared the winning party with a clean majority in the elections. 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.

Catch latest updates on Himachal Election Results 2022 as the counting proceeds.