LIVE: Himachal Pradesh Election Results 2022

The results for the elections to 68 Assembly seats of Himachal Pradesh are being declared today, nearly a month after the polling was held in the hill state in a single phase. Polling was held in Himachal on November 12.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to retain power for a second consecutive term in Himachal Pradesh, which is known for voting out the incumbent party. The electoral battle in the state, which has traditionally been between Congress and BJP, has become interesting with the entry of Aam Aadmi Party this time.
Amid the triangular contest, BJP also faced a tough time due to rebel candidates. The voters of Himachal Pradesh are known for voting out the incumbent government and have been alternating power between the BJP and Congress since 1985. The hill state has not re-elected a government since the 1980s.
Campaigning for the Himachal Pradesh polls, which ended on November 10, saw top leaders from BJP and Congress getting on the ground. Star campaigners from BJP included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and party chief Jagat Prakash Nadda. On the other hand, Priyanka Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge led the campaign for the party.
Aam Aadmi Party, encouraged by its success in the neighbouring state of Punjab, led a high-octane campaign. Party boss Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led the campaign for AAP in Himachal Pradesh. AAP fielded candidates for all the 68 Assembly seats.
In the 2017 polls, the BJP had formed a government by winning 44 seats while Congress could secure only 21 seats. A party needs to win at least 35 seats to form a government in the hill state. The current term of the Assembly is due to end on January 8.
Himachal Pradesh witnessed a record 75.6 per cent voter turnout. The total number of voters in the state increased to 55.25 lakh this time compared to 2017, which also includes 1.93 lakh first time voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years.