Shimla: On a day when the BJP won a historic mandate in Gujarat to be voted to power for a seventh straight term in PM Narendra Modi’s home state, the saffron party suffered a setback by losing in Himachal Pradesh to Congress.
From the staggering high of claiming 85% seats (156 out of 182) in Gujarat, BJP were dethroned in Himachal where they bagged 25 seats (36%) out of 68.
With 35 seats needed to get a majority, Congress won in 40 constituencies.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) drew a blank, while others won 3 seats.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur will tender his resignation to the Governor shortly.
“I respect people’s mandate and I want to thank the PM and other central leadership for the last 5 years. We’ll stand for the development of the state irrespective of politics. We’ll analyse our shortcomings and improve during the next term,” Thakur said.
Congress has convened a meeting of all its newly-elected MLAs in Chandigarh where a resolution is likely to be passed authorising Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to elect the CLP leader.
The three candidates who are believed to be in the race for CM’s chair are Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Mukesh Agnihotri and Pratibha Singh. While Singh is a sitting MP and did not contest in Assembly polls, Sukhu and Agnihotri won from their constituencies.
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