Himachal Pradesh Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 LIVE: Mandi, Hamirpur, Kangra, and Shimla
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP’s Ram Swaroop Sharma emerged victorious from the Mandi seat in Himachal Pradesh, defeating his opponents by a significant margin. Ram Swaroop Sharma had also won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 elections. This time, the BJP has fielded Bollywood’s “Queen” Kangana Ranaut, while the Congress has nominated former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s son, Vikramaditya Singh. The BSP has also entered the fray with Prakash Chand Bhardwaj as their candidate.
The counting of votes for the Lok Sabha seat has begun. In the final phase of voting, 71.9% of voters exercised their franchise in Himachal Pradesh, with the highest turnout of 73.15% recorded in Mandi. To prevent any discrepancies during the counting in Mandi, a three-layer security system has been established: the first layer consists of the Central Armed Police Forces, the second layer includes an armed battalion of the state police, and the third layer is managed by the district police.
The elections are expected to be a direct contest between the BJP and the Congress party, which is currently in power in Himachal Pradesh. The Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded candidates for all four seats in the state.
Himachal Pradesh witnessed a decrease in voter turnout in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, dropping from 72.42% in 2019 to 68.48% this year. The Congress has accused the BJP-led Union government of not supporting the people of the state during a crucial time last year when relentless monsoons caused extensive damage to life and property in the hill state.