The Paonta Sahib Assembly
Constituency has Sukh Ram Choudhury of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kirnesh
Jung from the Indian National Congress (INC) and Manish Thakur of the Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP) in a three-way contest for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly
Elections.

Also Read | 5 key battlegrounds in Himachal this poll season

The Centre’s recent announcement to include the Hatti community in the Scheduled Tribes list in Sirmaur district has not gone down well with some sections of the district.
The move has alarmed Gujjars, the district’s only ST community, and other
Scheduled Caste groups.

According to seasoned political observers, this election will depend on anti-incumbency, inflation, and unemployment. Himachal Pradesh has been governed alternately by Congress and BJP governments since 1985.

In 2017, the BJP had won 44 of
Himachal’s 68 assembly constituencies and the Congress 21.
The CPM had won one seat. A party needs to win 35 seats to form
the government in the state.

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

In 2017, Sukh Ram Choudhury of
the BJP defeated Kirnesh Jung of the Congress by 12,619 votes. Meena Kumari of
the Lok Gathbandhan Party (LOGAP) and independent candidate Surender also
contested the elections in 2017. 

Paonta Sahib is one of the 68
assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Paonta Sahib falls under the
Sirmaur district and Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency. Paonta Sahib has more than
82,000 eligible voters. 

In 2012, Kirnesh Jung, an
independent candidate defeated Sukh Ram Choudhury of the BJP by 790 votes.
Onkar Singh of the Congress, Budh Ram of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and
Sarvar Ali, an independent candidate 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 Paonta
Sahib Assembly seat

Name of the assembly
constituency, district: Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur district

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party:  Sukh
Ram Choudhury, BJP

Key candidates, party in 2022:
Manish Thakur (AAP), Sukh Ram Choudhury (BJP), Kirnesh Jung (INC)

Winning candidate, party in
2017: Sukh Ram Choudhury (BJP)

Runner-up name, party 2017:
Kirnesh Jung (INC)

Winning margin in 2017: 12, 619

Top 3 candidates 2017: Sukh Ram
Choudhury (BJP), Meena Kumari (LOGAP), Kirnesh Jung (INC)

Top 3 candidates 2012: Sukh Ram
Choudhury (BJP), Kirnesh Jung (Independent), Onkar Singh (INC)

Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla