Himachal Pradesh poll results: How BJP, Congress fared in 2022 compared to 2017

Himachal Pradesh Election Results 2022: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur tendered his resignation to the governor.

The Congress on Thursday gained the majority in the Himachal Pradesh assembly election, winning 40 of the 68 seats, according to the final results made available by the Election Commission.

Supporters hold a picture of former minister late Sukh Ram as they celebrate the victory of his son and BJP candidate Anil Sharma in the Himachal Pradesh assembly election in Mandi on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered win on 25 seats. Himachal Pradesh has not voted any incumbent government to power since 1985.

Conceding defeat in chief minister Jai Ram Thakur tendered his resignation to the governor, news agencies suggested.

The chief minister earlier said he respects the mandate and is going to hand over his resignation to the governor. "I respect the mandate. In a short while, I am going to hand over my resignation to the governor," Thakur told reporters here shortly before handing over his resignation to Governor Arlekar.

Here's a comparison of seat share between 2017 and 2022:

2017 Himachal Pradesh assembly poll results:

Total: 68 seats

BJP: 44

Congress: 21

CPI(M): 1

Independents: 2

2022 Himachal Pradesh assembly poll results

BJP: 25

Congress: 40

Independents: 3

AAP: 0

Meanwhile, former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh's son and sitting Congress MLA from Shimla (Rural) Vikramaditya Singh retained his seat by defeating his nearest rival Ravi Kumar Mehta of the BJP by 13,860 votes.

The BJP and the Congress contested on all 68 constituencies, while the AAP fielded candidates on 67 seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party on 53 and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on 11 seats.