The Dharampur Assembly Constituency has Rajat Thakur of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chander Shekhar from the Indian National Congress (INC), Rakesh Mandotra of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a three-way contest for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections.
Himachal Pradesh has been an anti-incumbent state for the BJP and Congress for the last three decades. It is one of the few states where the BJP and Congress have had a direct contest. While the BJP hopes to reverse the trend of anti-incumbency, AAP’s entry into the HP Assembly Elections has presented new challenges to both the national parties.
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.
Also Read: Shiv Sena (Taksali) leader’s killing in Amritsar: Oppn BJP, Cong target AAP govt over law and order
In 2017, Mahender Singh of the BJP won the seat by defeating his closest rival Chander Shekhar of the INC with a margin of 11,964 votes. Bhupender Singh of the Communist Party of India Marxist CPI-M, Ramesh Kumar Guleria of Rashtriya Azad Manch (RADM) and independent candidates Dr Prakash Chand Bhardwaj, Digvijay Singh and Sajuram Saklani also contested the 2017 election.
Dharampur is one of the 68 assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Dharampur falls under the Mandi district and Hamirpur Lok Sabha Constituency. Dharampur has more than 86,000 eligible voters.
In 2012, Mahender Singh of the BJP defeated Chander Shekhar of the Congress by 1,041 votes. Abhimanyu (Uses just first name) of Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), Surender Kumar of All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC), Saju Ram of Hindustan Nirman Dal (HND) Hari Dass Prajapati of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and an independent candidate Suresh Kumar Barwal 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 Dharampur Assembly seat
Name of the assembly constituency, district: Dharampur, Mandi district
Polling date: November 12, 2022
Sitting MLA, party: Mahender Singh, BJP
Key candidates, party in 2022: Rakesh Mandotra (AAP), Rajat Thakur (BJP), Chander Shekhar (INC)
Winning candidate, party in 2017: Mahender Singh, BJP
Runner-up name, party 2017: Chander Shekhar, INC
Winning margin in 2017: 11,964
Top 3 candidates 2017: Chander Shekhar (INC), Mahender Singh (BJP), Bhupender Singh (CPIM)
Top 3 candidates 2012: Abhimanyu (HLP), Chander Shekhar (INC), Mahender Singh (BJP)
Lok Sabha constituency: Hamirpur
