The Chopal Assembly
Constituency has Balbir Singh Verma of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
Rajneesh Kimta from the Indian National Congress (INC) and Uday Singhta of the
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a three-way contest for this year’s Himachal Pradesh
Assembly Elections.

Also Read | Who will be Himachal’s next chief minister?

According to political analysts, the state’s first election since the Covid-19 pandemic will be fought on inflation and unemployment while anti-incumbency will also be a big factor. Himachal Pradesh has been governed alternately by Congress and BJP governments since 1985.

The BJP had won 44 of
Himachal’s 68 assembly constituencies last time and the Congress had won 21.
The CPI (M) had won one seat. A party needs to win 35 seats for a majority to
form the government in the state.

In 2017,  Balbir Singh
Verma of the BJP defeated Dr Subhash Chand Manglate of the Congress by 4,587
votes. Hari Chand of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Hari Singh Panwar, an
independent candidate, also contested the elections in 2017. 

Chopal is one of the 68
assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Chopal falls under the Shimla
district and Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency. Chopal has more than 79,000
eligible voters. 

In 2012, Balbir Singh Verma, an
independent candidate defeated Dr Subhash Chand Manglate of the Congress by 647
votes. Seema of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hari Chand of the
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rajender Singh of the All India Trinamool Congress
(AITMC) and Ramla Devi of the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) also contested the HP
Assembly Elections in 2012. 

Also Read | 5 key battlegrounds in Himachal this poll season

Himachal Pradesh votes in a
single round on November 12. Results will be announced on December 8.

Quick facts about the Chopal
Assembly seat  

Name of the assembly constituency,
district: Chopal, Shimla district

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party: Balbir
Singh Verma, BJP

Key candidates, party in 2022:
Uday Singhta (AAP), Balbir Singh Verma (BJP), Rajneesh Kimta (INC)

Winning candidate, party in
2017:  Balbir Singh Verma, BJP

Runner-up name, party 2017: Dr
Subhash Chand Manglate, INC

Winning margin in 2017: 4587

Top 3 candidates 2017: 
Balbir Singh Verma (BJP), Dr Subhash Chand Manglate (INC), Hari Chand (BSP)

Top 3 candidates 2012: 
Balbir Singh Verma (Independent), Dr Subhash Chand Manglate (INC), Seema (BJP)

Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla