Shimla, December 8: The final results of Himachal Pradesh assembly elections have started coming. The congress party is leading with a clear majority. The grand old party is set to win around 40 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trailing with 25 seats in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. In a largely head to head contest, the congress emerged triumphant.

The hill state, which went to polls in a single phase on 12 November, is witnessed a bipolar electoral battle between the incumbent BJP and the Congress. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also entered the fray for the first time but couldn’t work its magic like it did in Punjab. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election Result 2022: Congress Leader Bhawani Singh Defeats Forest Minister Rakesh Pathania To Retain Fatehpur Seat

Here Are Some of the Reasons Behind BJP Finishing Second in Polls:

Infighting and Factionalism Within Party

Though the BJP seemed to be in full control ahead of assembly polls in hill state, infighting among different factions was a problem for the saffron party. The presence of rebels in the elections was a strategically planned move by a group of leaders who opposed the chief minister, Jai Ram Thakur. Who Will Be New Himachal Pradesh CM? From Vikramaditya Singh to Mukesh Agnihotri and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, List of Congress Leaders Who May Become Chief Minister

Anti Incumbency

Things were not looking good for the Jairam Thakur government ahead of the polls. The state government was marred with corruption charges. The recruitment exam for police constables had to be shelved over a paper leak and Thakur, in an effort to save face, had to hand over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). There was also resentment among government employees who were seeking a return to the old pension scheme and demanding the regularisation of contractual jobs.

Reasons Behind Congress Winning in Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election 2022:

Old Pension Scheme:

The Congress had promised to restore the old pension scheme in Himachal Pradesh if voted to power. While the Congress continued to woo the voters with the promise of bringing back the old pension scheme (OPS), the BJP continued to tread with caution on the topic. Pratibha Singh, Himachal Pradesh Congress President, had announced that her party will implement OPS on the first day of the formation of the government in the state.

Focused Campaign:

The congress sensing victory in the hill state, identified the issues and made strategies to hurt the BJP. Among them were the demand for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), unemployment, resentment against the Agniveer scheme, and price rise. The party was able to build a narrative around the poll promises of providing one lakh jobs, restoration of the OPS and financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to every woman in the state.

In the 2017 assembly elections, the BJP won 44 seats and the Congress 21, with one seat going to CPI-M, and two to independent candidates. Congress successfully changed the last election's trend this year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 08, 2022 05:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).