The Haroli Assembly Constituency has Ram Kumar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mukesh Agnihotri from the Indian National Congress (INC), Ravinder Pal Singh Man of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) making it a three-way contest for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections. 

Himachal Pradesh has conventionally been an anti-incumbent state, with the BJP and Congress taking power alternately since 1985. This year, the Aam Aadmi Party hopes to change Himachal Pradesh’s political system. Arvind Kejriwal’s party has pledged to create 6 lakh government jobs and to pay unemployed people Rs 3,000 via unemployment allowances. It has also stated that previous pension schemes will be enforced.

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

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, Mukesh Agnihotri of the Congress defeated Ram Kumar of the BJP by 7,377 votes. Virender Kumar of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and independent candidate Ravinder Mann also contested the 2017 election. 

Haroli is one of the 68 assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Haroli falls under the Una district and Hamirpur Lok Sabha Constituency. Haroli has more than 90,000 eligible voters. 

In 2012, Mukesh Agnihotri of the Congress defeated Prof Ram Kumar of the BJP by 5,172 votes. Mukesh Choudhari of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Dr Lekh Raj Khanna of the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJSP) and Sanjiv Fanda of All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) also contested the HP Assembly Elections in 2012. 

Also Read | 5 issues Himachalis will be voting on this election

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

Quick facts about the Haroli Assembly seat  

Name of the assembly constituency, district: Haroli, Una district

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party: Mukesh Agnihotri, INC

Key candidates, party in 2022: Ravinder Pal Singh Man (AAP), Ram Kumar (BJP), Mukesh Agnihotri (INC)

Winning candidate, party in 2017:  Mukesh Agnihotri, INC

Runner-up name, party 2017: Ram Kumar, BJP

Winning margin in 2017:  7,377

Top 3 candidates 2017: Mukesh Agnihotri (INC), Ram Kumar (BJP), Ravinder Mann (Independent)

Top 3 candidates 2012: Mukesh Agnihotri (INC), Ram Kumar (BJP), Mukesh Choudhari (BSP)

Lok Sabha constituency: Hamirpur