The Kasumpti Assembly
Constituency has Suresh Bhardwaj of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Anirudh
Singh from the Indian National Congress (INC), Rajesh Channa of the Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP), Kuldeep Singh Tanwar of the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM)
in a four-way contest for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections.

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

According to political analysts, the state’s first election since the Covid-19 pandemic will be decided inflation and unemployment while on anti-incumbency will also play a big role. 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, Anirudh Singh of the Congress
defeated Vijay Jyoti of the BJP by 9,397 votes. Kuldip Singh Tanwar of the CPM,
Ramesh Kumar of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and independent candidates Madan
Mohan, Inder Singh and Dev Raj Bhardwaj also contested the elections in 2017. 

Kasumpti is one of the 68
assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Kasumpti falls under the Shimla
district and Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency. Kasumpti has more than 65,000
eligible voters. 

Also Read | 5 key battlegrounds in Himachal this poll season

In 2012, Anirudh Singh of the Congress
defeated Prem Singh of the BJP by 9,886 votes. Kuldip Singh Tanwar of the CPM,
Khushi Ram Balanatah of the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), Dharam Pal Sharma of
the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP),  Jagdish Kumar Chandel of the Samajwadi
Party (SP) and independent candidates Vijay Jayoti and Dineshwar Dutt 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. 

Quick facts about the Kasumpti
Assembly seat  

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

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party: Anirudh
Singh, INC

Key candidates, party in 2022:
Rajesh Channa (AAP), Suresh Bhardwaj (BJP), Anirudh Singh (INC), Kuldeep Singh
Tanwar (CPIM)

Winning candidate, party in
2017:  Anirudh Singh, INC

Runner-up name, party 2017:
Vijay Jyoti, BJP

Winning margin in 2017: 9397

Top 3 candidates 2017: 
Anirudh Singh (INC), Vijay Jyoti  (BJP), Kuldeep Singh Tanwar (CPIM)

Top 3 candidates 2012:  Anirudh
Singh (INC), Kuldeep Singh Tanwar (CPIM), Prem Singh (BJP)

Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla