Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh election result 2019: Both Himalayan states may go into BJP fold

Election Results 2019: The Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh may both go into the BJP fold as most exit surveys have predicted a saffron surge in these small but politically crucial states. Himachal went to polls in the last phase of 2019 Lok Sabha election on May 19. A total of 45 candidates were contesting polls for four Lok Sabha seats, including Shimla (reserved), Hamirpur, Mandi, and Kangra. Himachal Pradesh has always seen the bipolar elections, and power keeps shifting between the BJP and the Congress. However, it remains to be seen which party wins maximum states in HP this time.

India Today-AxisMyIndia exit poll has given all four seats to the BJP. Other exit polls also predicted a big win for the party in the state. This is the first time archrivals and veteran leaders Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal are not contesting polls from any of the Lok Sabha seats. Both the BJP and the Congress had given tickets to strong candidates from all the four seats. The BJP fielded Suresh Kashyap from Shimla after dropping last time's winner and two-time MP Virender Kashyap, while the Congress gave the ticket to veteran leader Dhani Ram Shandil. In Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP gave the ticket to sitting MP Anurag Thakur, while Congress fielded Ram Lal Thakur, a Congress MLA from Sri Naina Deviji Assembly seat.

The saffron party fielded Kishan Kapoor from Kangra, a BJP stronghold, while the Congress gave the ticket to Pawan Kajal, a former BJP leader who joined the Congress before 2017 Assembly polls after he was denied ticket. From Mandi, it is a contest between Aashray Sharma of the Congress, former Union minister Sukh Ram's grandson, and sitting BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma.

In Uttarakhand, voting was held on April 11 for five Lok Sabha seats, including Nainital, Almora, Pauri Garhwal, Haridwar, and Tehri Garhwal. The BJP had won all five seats in the state in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections too. Most exit polls gave all five seats for the BJP. India Today-My Axis India poll also said the BJP will do a repeat of 2014 elections in the state. The BJP secured 56 per cent of the votes, while the Congress got 34 per cent of the votes in the 2014 polls. In the 2017 state elections, the BJP won 57 out of 70 seats and the Congress party bagged 11 seats.

The Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand marked the 'battle of the CMs' this time, where the current Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and former CM and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat did extensive poll campaigning. The BJP and the Congress top leaders also held several rallies in the state. While PM Modi addressed rallies in Rudrapur and Dehradun, BJP President Amit Shah held rallies in Uttarkashi and Dehradun. Congress President Rahul Gandhi also addressed four rallies in Dehradun, Almora, Srinagar and Haridwar over the past fortnight.

Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019/news/uttarakhand-himachal-pradesh-election-result-2019-both-himalayan-states-may-go-into-bjp-fold/story/349197.html