The Shimla Assembly Constituency has Sanjay Sood of the Bharatiya
Janata Party
(BJP), Harish Janartha from the Indian National Congress (INC),
Chaman Rakesh Ajta of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Tikender Singh of the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) in a four-way contest
for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections. 

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

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, Suresh Bhardwaj of the BJP defeated Harish Janartha, an independent candidate, by 1,903 votes. Sanjay Chauhan of the CPM, Harbhajan Singh Bhajji of the Congress, Dr Kishori Lal Sharma of the
Swabhiman Party (SWAP) and an independent
candidate, Virender Kumar also contested the
elections in 2017. 

Shimla is one of the 68 assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Shimla falls under the Shimla district and Shimla Lok Sabha
Constituency. Shimla has more than 48,000
eligible voters. 

In 2012, Suresh Bhardwaj of the BJP defeated Harish Janartha of the Congress by 628 votes. Tikender Singh Panwar of the CPM, Dr Radha Raman Shastri of
the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Surinder Kumar of the Himachal Swabhiman
Party (HSP), Sita Ram Dhiman of the Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) and independent candidate Tarsem Bharti 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. 

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

Quick facts about the Shimla Assembly seat  

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

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party:  Suresh Bhardwaj, BJP

Key candidates, party in 2022:
Chaman Rakesh Ajta (AAP), Sanjay Sood (BJP), Harish Janartha (INC), Tikender Singh (CPM)

Winning candidate, party in
2017:   Suresh Bhardwaj, BJP

Runner-up name, party 2017:
Harish Janartha, Independent

Winning margin in 2017: 
1903

Top 3 candidates 2017:   Suresh Bhardwaj (BJP), Sanjay Chauhan (CPIM), Harish Janartha (Independent)

Top 3 candidates 2012:   Suresh Bhardwaj (BJP), Harish Janartha (INC), Tikender Singh (CPM)

Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla