The Shillai Assembly
Constituency has Baldev Singh Tomar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
Harshvardhan Chauhan from the Indian National Congress (INC) and Nathuram
Chauhan 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 recent announcement by the
Centre to include the Hatti community in the Scheduled Tribes list in Sirmaur
district has sparked outrage among some sections of Himachal Pradesh. The move
has alarmed Gujjars, the district’s only ST community, and other Scheduled
Caste groups.

According to political analysts, the state’s first election since the Covid-19 pandemic will be determined by anti-incumbency, inflation, return to the old pension scheme, and unemployment. 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, Harshwardhan Chauhan
of the Congress defeated Baldev Singh of the BJP by 4,125 votes. Mani Ram of
the Swabhiman Party (SWAP) and Kedar Singh Jindan of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
also contested the elections in 2017. 

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

Shillai is one of the 68
assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Shillai falls under the Sirmaur
district and Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency. Shillai has more than 74,000
eligible voters. 

In 2012, Baldev Singh Tomar of
the BJP defeated Harshwardhan Chauhan of the Congress by 1,918 votes. Hari Ram
of the Communist Party of India Marxist, Kedar Singh Jindan of the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) and Nathu Ram of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 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 Shillai
Assembly seat  

Name of the assembly
constituency, district: Shillai, Sirmaur district

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party:
Harshvardhan Chauhan, INC

Key candidates, party in 2022:
Nathuram Chauhan (AAP), Baldev Singh Tomar (BJP), Harshvardhan Chauhan (INC)

Winning candidate, party in
2017:  Harshvardhan Chauhan, INC

Runner-up name, party 2017:
Baldev Singh Tomar, BJP

Winning margin in 2017: 4125

Top 3 candidates 2017: 
Harshvardhan Chauhan (INC), Baldev Singh Tomar (BJP), Mani Ram (SWAP)

Top 3 candidates 2012: 
Harshvardhan Chauhan (INC), Baldev Singh Tomar (BJP), Hari Ram (CPM)

Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla