The Theog Assembly Constituency
has Ajay Shyam of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kuldeep Singh Rathore from
the Indian National Congress (INC), Atar Singh Chandel of the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP), and Rakesh Singha of the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) contesting
for this year’s Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections.

Also Read | 5 key battlegrounds in Himachal this poll season

According to political analysts, the state’s first election since the Covid-19 pandemic will be fought on inflation and unemployment while anti-incumbency will also be a big factor. 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, Rakesh Singha of the CPI
(M) defeated Rakesh Verma of the BJP by 1,983 votes. Deepak Rathour of the Congress
and independent candidates Roshan Lal and Devi Ram Sharma also contested the
elections in 2017. 

Theog is one of the 68 assembly
constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. Theog falls under the Shimla district and
Shimla Lok Sabha Constituency. Theog has more than 83,000 eligible voters. 

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

In 2012, veteran Congress
leader Vidya Stokes defeated Rakesh Verma of the BJP by 4,276 votes. Rakesh
Singha of the CPI-M, Vinay Kumar of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Pramod Kumar
Sharma of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITMC) and independent candidates Ram
Lal Sharma and Roshan Lal 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 Theog
Assembly seat  

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

Polling date: November 12, 2022

Sitting MLA, party: 
Rakesh Singha, CPM 

Key candidates, party in 2022:
Atar Singh Chandel (AAP), Ajay Shyam (BJP), Kuldeep Singh rathore (INC), Rakesh
Singha (CPM)

Winning candidate, party in
2017:  Rakesh Singha, CPM

Runner-up name, party 2017:
Rakesh Verma, BJP

Winning margin in 2017: 1983

Top 3 candidates 2017: 
Rakesh Singha (CPM), Deepak Rathour (INC), Rakesh Verma (BJP)

Top 3 candidates 2012:  Rakesh
Verma (BJP), Vidya Stokes (INC), Rakesh Singha (CPM)

Lok Sabha constituency: Shimla