The Bharmour Assembly Constituency has Janak Raj of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Thakur Singh Bharmouri from the Indian National Congress (INC) and Parkash Chand Bhardwaj of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), a three-way contest for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections.
Bharmour is the halt for the once in a year Manimahesh pilgrimage that is considered extremely sacred in North India and people begin their climb from Hadsar a few miles away.
Elections in Himachal Pradesh are usually a two-party contest between the BJP and the Congress. Since 1985, Congress and the BJP have alternately formed governments in the state. The BJP hopes to end that cycle, and Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP hopes to make a dent.
The BJP had won 44 of Himachal’s 68 assembly constituencies last time and the Congress had won 21. The CPM had won one seat. A party needs to win 35 seats for a majority to form the government in Himachal Pradesh.
Also Read: Himachal Pradesh elections on November 12, results on December 8
In 2017, Jia Lal of the Bharatiya Janata Party won the seat by defeating his closest rival Thakur Singh Bharmouri of the Indian National Congress with a margin of 7,349 votes. The other candidates Lalit Thakur and Janam Singh, contested the elections independently. BJP defeated the Congress and won 44 seats in 2017, while the Congress secured 21.
Bharmour falls under the Chamba district and Mandi Lok Sabha Constituency. Pratibha Singh, representing INC, won the last Lok Sabha by election in 2021 from Mandi following the death of Ram Swaroop Sharma who won in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Bharmour constituency is reserved for candidates of Scheduled tribes. Bharmour has more than 76, 000 eligible voters.
In 2012, Thakur Singh Bharmouri defeated Jia Lal of BJP by 3467 votes. Thakur has previously won the seat from Bharmour in 1982, 1986, 1993, and 2003. Kishori Lal of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Madan Lal Baryal of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and independent candidate Mahinder Singh had also contested the HP Assembly Elections in 2012.
Himachal Pradesh votes in a single round on November 12. Results will be announced on December 8. Elections to the Gujarat assembly are also expected to be held in December this year.
Quick facts about the Bharmour Assembly seat
Name of the assembly constituency, district: Bharmour, Chamba district
Polling date: November 12, 2022
Sitting MLA, party: Jia Lal, BJP
Key candidates, party in 2022: Janak Raj (BJP), Thakur Singh Bharmouri (INC), Parkash Chand Bhardwaj (AAP)
Winning candidate, party in 2017: Jia Lal, BJP
Runner-up name, party 2017: Thakur Singh Bharmouri, INC
Winning margin in 2017: 7, 349
Top 3 candidates 2017: Thakur Singh Bharmouri (INC), Jia Lal (BJP), Lalit Thakur (Independent), Janam Singh (Independent)
Top 3 candidates 2012: Thakur Singh Bharmouri (INC), Jia Lal (BJP), Kishori Lal (BSP), Madan Lal Baryal (NCP), Mahinder Singh (Independent)
Lok Sabha constituency: Mandi
