In 2012 Himachal Assembly election Indian National Congress has lost its grip over its strong bastion Sirmour. Out of five seats, Congress could win Shri Renukaji assembly segment with thin margin of 655, whereas in Paonta Sahib Segment, its rebel candidate Kirnesh Jung came out victorious and Congress official candidate comes third. Even congress senior leader Gangu Ram Musafir and former Shilai MLA Harshwardhan Chauhan didn’t find electorates favour this time.
In terms of vote share Congress loses good percentage to BJP. In Pacchad, once a strong congress bastion, BJP made remarkable improvement and gets 50.86 per cent and registered its first victory.
In the most keenly contested Nahan seat, the BJP not only opened its account by registering its maiden victory through Rajiv Bindal but also improved its vote share from 32.74 per cent to 47.68 per cent, while Kush Parmar of the Congress suffered a steep decline from 32.74 per cent to 23.66 per cent.
The Renuka constituency voted for Congress candidate Vinay Kumar. The BJP could not hold on to its vote share of 53.12 per cent gained in the last year’s byelection and it declined to 46.64 per cent, thus paving the way for the return of the Congress. The Congress improved its share from 44.12 per cent in the 2011 byelection to 48.12 per cent now.
In the Shillai constituency, BJP’s Baldev Tomar made a remarkable improvement in the BJP’s vote share from 8.39 per cent in 2007 to 49.33 per cent now. Earlier in 2007 election, Tomar had forfeited his security.
The Paonta Sahib seat the vote share of BJP slide a bit to 42.57 per cent from 46.69 per cent votes
Congress had strong hold in the district from its beginning, but lack of development in terms of road and other basic amenities, in the rocky terrain of the district has rejected Congress supremacy in the district. Even son of Himachal founder and first chief Minister of state Dr.Yashwant Singh Parmar lost the election to BJP’s Rajev Bindal with huge margin. Many political observers believed that Dhumal Govt’s development activities in the district in last five years have changed the electorates’ preferences in the district.
