The key political players in Himachal Pradesh state in north-west India are the Indian National Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.
The politics of Himachal Pradesh are more associated with the regional divides of the state. The role of leadership represents two distinct regions Old and New Himachal, which has been crucial from the beginning. Based on electoral divide, the state can be divided as - Upper Himachal consisting the districts of Shimla, Sirmaur and parts of Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti, Solan, Kinnaur and Chamba; and Lower Himachal consisting the districts of Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una and the lower region of Mandi district.The State was reorganised on 1966 through the Punjab Reorganisation Act by adding some parts of Punjab to the state of Himanchal Pradesh; and the parts of old Himachal and the newly merged areas too differ in their voting pattern.
National politics There are four Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament) constituencies in Himachal Pradesh. ElectionLok SabhaParty-wise detailsConstituenciesParty Seats Kangra Mandi Hamirpur ShimlaMahasuChamba19511st Lok SabhaINC4INCINCINCINCNot ThereNot There19572nd Lok SabhaINC4INCINCINCINCNot ThereNot There19623rd Lok SabhaINC4INCINCINCINCNot ThereNot There19674th Lok SabhaINC6INCINCINCINCINCINC19715th Lok SabhaINC4INCINCINCINCNot ThereNot There19776th Lok SabhaJP4JPJPJPJPNot ThereNot There19807th Lok SabhaINC4INCINCINCINCNot ThereNot There19848th Lok SabhaINC4INCINCINCINCNot ThereNot There19899th Lok SabhaBJP4BJPBJPBJPINCNot ThereNot There199110th Lok SabhaBJP/INC4BJPINCBJPINCNot ThereNot There199611th Lok SabhaINC4INCINCINCINCNot ThereNot There199812th Lok SabhaBJP4BJPBJPBJPINCNot ThereNot There199913th Lok SabhaBJP4BJPBJPBJPHVCNot ThereNot There200414th Lok SabhaINC4INCINCBJPINCNot ThereNot There200915th Lok SabhaBJP4BJPINCBJPBJPNot ThereNot There201416th Lok SabhaBJP4BJPBJPBJPBJPNot ThereNot There201917th Lok SabhaBJP4BJPBJPBJPBJPNot ThereNot There202418th Lok SabhaBJP4BJPBJPBJPBJPNot ThereNot There State politics The Himachal Pradesh's Legislative Assembly currently has 68 seats who are directly elected from single-seat constituencies. An election did not take place for 15 years after 1952 due to the enactment of the States Reorganisation Act in 1956 which designated Himachal Pradesh as a Union Territory instead of a Part-C state, falling under the direct control of the President of India. Accordingly, the Legislative Assembly was dissolved. This was later changed in 1963 when the Government of Union Territories Act was passed, providing Himachal with a Legislative Assembly and Chief Minister again. Election were first held again in 1967, after the Punjab Reorganisation Act (1966) was passed, transferring some territory to Himachal Pradesh. Eventually, Himachal Pradesh became a fully fledged state (the 18th of the Union) with the passing of The State of Himachal Pradesh Act in 1970.
The Indian National Congress dominated the state assembly throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, much like most of the nation. The state's first Chief Minister was Yashwant Singh Parmar, who led the region's early development post-Independence. Parmar is still widely celebrated to this day and is even called "The Founder of Himachal Pradesh". After differences with party leaders, Parmar eventually resigned in 1977 at the age of 71. Thakur Ram Lal served as the 2nd Chief Minister until the elections that year. However, in 1977, with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Emergency extremely unpopular throughout the nation, Congress were dealt heavy electoral blows. The state party lost in a landslide to the opposition Janata Party, with Shanta Kumar becoming the state's 3rd Chief Minister. His ministry only lasted for 3 years though, and after multiple party defections, Congress regained power in February 1980 with Ram Lal once again assuming the office of Chief Minister. This administration didn't last either, and after scandals and political turmoil, Ram Lal was forced to resign in 1983, a year after he'd narrowly won re-election. He was replaced by fellow Congress leader Virbhadra Singh. Ever since 1985, no incumbent party has managed to retain control of the Legislative Assembly, and power has flipped between the BJP and INC every few years.
1952 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19521st Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress24Yashwant Singh ParmarINCKisan Mazdoor Praja Party3Independent8 Scheduled Caste Federation1Total36
1967 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19672nd Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress34Yashwant Singh ParmarINCIndependent16Bharatiya Jana Sangh7 Communist Party of India 2 Swatantra Party1Total60
1972 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19723rd Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress53Yashwant Singh ParmarINCIndependent7Bharatiya Jana Sangh5 Lok Raj Party Himachal Pradesh2 Communist Party of India (Marxist) 1Total68 1977 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19774th Vidhan SabhaJanta Party 53 Shanta KumarJPIndian National Congress9Independent6Total68 1982 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19825th Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress31Thakur Ram LalINCBharatiya Janta Party 29Independent6 Janata Party2Total68 1985 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19856th Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress58Virbhadra SinghINCBharatiya Janta Party 7Independent2 Lok Dal1Total68 1990 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19907th Vidhan SabhaBharatiya Janta Party 46 Shanta KumarBJP Janata Dal11Indian National Congress9Independent1CPI1Total68 1993 Legislative Assembly election
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19938th Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress52Virbhadra SinghINCBharatiya Janta Party 8Independent7 Communist Party of India (Marxist)1Total68 1998 Legislative Assembly election
Keys:
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats19989th Vidhan SabhaBharatiya Janta Party 31 Prem Kumar DhumalBJPIndian National Congress31 Himachal Vikas Congress5Independent1Total68
2003 Legislative Assembly election
Keys:
Election Vidhan SabhaParty-wise detailsChief Minister PartyPartySeats200310th Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress43Virbhadra SinghINCBharatiya Janta Party 16Independent6Himachal Vikas Congress1Lok Janshakti Party1Loktantrik Morcha Himachal Pradesh1Total68
2007 Legislative Assembly election
The 2007 Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly election were held in Himachal Pradesh in 2007.
Keys:
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats200711th Vidhan SabhaBharatiya Janta Party 41Prem Kumar DhumalBJPIndian National Congress23Independent3 Bahujan Samaj Party1Total68
2012 Legislative Assembly election
Keys:
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats201212th Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress36Virbhadra SinghINCBharatiya Janta Party 26Independent5 Himachal Lokhit Party1Total68
2017 Legislative Assembly election
BJP won 44 out of 68 seats to form the government, ousting Congress party from power. Indian National Congress won 21 seats. Jai Ram Thakur was appointed as Chief Minister after the elections.
Keys:
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats201713th Vidhan SabhaBharatiya Janta Party 44 Jai Ram ThakurBJP Indian National Congress21Independent2 Communist Party of India (Marxist)1Total68
2022 Legislative Assembly election
Keys:
Election Vidhan Sabha Party-wise details Chief Minister Party Party Seats202214th Vidhan SabhaIndian National Congress40 Sukhvinder Singh SukhuINCBharatiya Janta Party 28Total68 See also Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly
References