Early elections ordered by the Election Commission and an aggressive campaign of the BJP on issues like corruption and the Congress’s failure to fulfil poll promises, especially that of providing one job to every family, helped it stage a comeback. What cost the Congress dear was the issue of price rise, regional disparities, and favouritism. The Congress has drawn a blank in four of the 12 districts, and a few of its stalwarts either lost, or won with very slim margins. The BSP also queered the pitch for the Congress in Kullu and Mandi.

Some cabinet ministers and Virbhadra Singh confidants like Ram Lal Thakur (Forest), Kuldeep Kumar (Industry) Rangila Ram Rao ( Excise & Taxation), Raj Kishan Guar (Agriculture) lost the elections. Heavyweights like Asha Kumari, Chandresh Kumari, Brij Bihari Butail, all former ministers, and MLAs Anita Verma and Rohit Kumar lost the elections. Congress stalwart Vidya Stokes, a former minister, had to content herself with a lead of just 1,250 votes. Kaul Singh Thakur and Speaker Gangu Ram Musafir, both Virbhadra Singh loyalists, struggled to win the election, all trailing till the very last few hours. Some of the surprise winners in the Congress included former union minister Sukh Ram’s son Anil Sharma, who won from Mandi (Sadar), and G S Bali, a former tourism minister, who had to resign after being caught on camera in company of bar girls during his birthday party.

The BJP’s big win came from lower Himachal areas like Kangra, where the party won nine of the 16 seats, and Mandi, where it won six of the 10 seats. The party swept districts like Solan and Kullu, preventing the Congress from retaining even a single seat.

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