The Kasauli Assembly Constituency has Rajiv Saizal of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vinod Sultanpuri from the Indian National
Congress (INC), Harmel Dhiman of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a three-way
contest for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections.

Political analysts believe that anti-incumbency, inflation, and unemployment will be crucial
in the state’s first election since the Covid-19 pandemic. Since 1985, Himachal
Pradesh has been alternately governed by Congress and BJP governments.

Also Read | 5 key battlegrounds in Himachal this poll season

The BJP had won 44 of
Himachal’s 68 assembly constituencies in 2017 and the Congress had won 21.
The CPI (M) bagged one seat. A party needs to win 35 seats to
form the government in Himachal Pradesh.

In 2017, Rajiv Saizal of the BJP
defeated Vinod Sultanpuri of the Congress by 442 votes. Virender Kumar Kashyap
of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Keshav Kumar of the Swabhiman Party
(SWAP) and independent candidate Rajeev Kumar Kaundal also contested the
elections in 2017. 

Kasauli is one of the 68
assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Kasauli falls under the Solan
district and Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency. Kasauli has more than 67,000
eligible voters. This constituency is reserved for Schedule Caste candidates. 

In 2012, Rajiv Saizal of the
BJP defeated Vinod Sultanpuri of the Congress by 24 votes. Karam Dass of the
Communist Party of India Marxist, Shakun Chauhan of the Samajwadi Party (SP),
Ram Swaroop of the All India Trinamool Congress (ATMC), Janki Ram Chauhan of
the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Raja Ram of the Bahujan Samaj Party
(BSP) 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 Kasauli
Assembly seat  

Name of the assembly
constituency, district: Kasauli, Solan district

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party: Harmel
Dhiman (AAP), Rajiv Saizal (BJP), Vinod Sultanpuri (INC)

Key candidates, party in 2022:
Rajiv Saizal, BJP

Winning candidate, party in
2017: Rajiv Saizal, BJP

Runner-up name, party 2017:
  Vinod Sultanpuri, INC

Winning margin in 2017: 442

Top 3 candidates 2017: Virender
Kumar Kashyap (CPI), Vinod Sultanpuri (INC), Rajiv Saizal (BJP)

Top 3 candidates 2012: 
Rajiv Saizal (BJP), Vinod Sultanpuri (INC), Karam Dass (CPIM)

Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla