The Nalagarh Assembly
Constituency has Lakhvinder Singh Rana of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
Harvinder Singh Bawa from the Indian National Congress (INC), Dharampal Chauhan
of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a three-way contest for this year’s Himachal
Pradesh Assembly Elections. Bawa previously contested elections in 2017 as an
independent candidate. Originally elected as a member of the Congress, Rana
defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party in August 2022.
Also Read | 5 issues Himachalis will be voting on this election
Himachal Pradesh has been
governed alternately by the BJP and Congress since the 1985 elections. However,
with the entrance of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in the HP elections this year,
many expect the state’s political landscape to change.
Opposition parties such as the
Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are raising unemployment and the previous
pension scheme as the important issues as BJP Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur
defends the party’s stance and policies.
According to political
analysts, these issues, along with anti-incumbency and inflation could play a
key role in the state’s first election since the Covid-19 pandemic. Himachal
Pradesh has been alternately ruled 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.
Also Read | 5 key battlegrounds in Himachal this poll season
In 2017, Lakhvinder Singh Rana
of the Congress defeated Krishan Lal Thakur of the BJP by 1,242 votes. Independent candidates Hardeep Singh Bawa,
Harpreet Singh Saini and Gurnam Singh also contested the elections in 2017.
Nalagarh is one of the 68
assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Nalagarh falls under the Solan
district and Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency. Nalagarh has more than 89,000
eligible voters.
In 2012, Krishan Lal Thakur of
the BJP defeated Lakhvinder Singh Rana of the Congress by 9,308 votes. Gurnam
Singh of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Pola Ram Dhang Wala of the Himachal Lokhit
Party (HLP), Anant Ram of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Gurbax Singh Chauhan
of the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) 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 Nalagarh
Assembly seat
Name of the assembly
constituency, district: Nalagarh, Solan district
Polling date: November 12, 2022
Sitting MLA, party: Lakhvinder
Singh Rana (won 2017 elections on INC ticket, joined BJP in August 2022)
Key candidates, party in 2022:
Dharampal Chauhan (AAP), Lakhvinder Singh Rana (BJP), Harvinder Singh Bawa (INC)
Winning candidate, party in
2017: Lakhvinder Singh Rana, INC
Runner-up name, party
2017: Krishan Lal Thakur, BJP
Winning margin in 2017: 1,242
Top 3 candidates 2017: Krishan
Lal Thakur (BJP), Lakhvinder Singh Rana (INC), Hardeep Singh Bawa (Independent)
Top 3 candidates 2012: Krishan
Lal Thakur (BJP), Anant Ram (BSP), Lakhvinder Singh Rana (INC)
Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla
