Himachal Pradesh results: key takeaways from Congress' win

The BJP billed it as a battle between ‘raj’ and ‘riwaaz’. It seemed confident that this time around, the people of Himachal would change the 40-year-old tradition of not voting any government back to power.

But the voters of the hill state decided that the change is the only constant as they voted Congress to power.

BJP’s move to tackle anti-incumbency by not giving tickets to 11 of its 44 MLAs backfired as it led to a full blown rebellion. Congress on the other hand repeated all of its sitting MLAs.

Apple traders are an influential community in the state. The farm agitation, increase in GST on cartons may have antagonised them. The Congress sought to take advantage of this by promising apple traders the freedom to fix the right price for their fruits.

Himachal Pradesh is seen as a state that sends many of its young ones to the Army and the Modi-govt’s decision to introduce the Agniveer recruitment scheme for defence forces may have cost BJP valuable votes.

Also watch: Himachal Result: PM Modi speaks on BJP's loss in hill state, cites 'less than 1%' vote share difference

As BJP battled an anti-people perception, Congress took a leaf out of AAP’s welfare schemes book. It announced 300 units of free power, a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to women in the age group of 18 to 60 years.

New Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge rightly credited the win to party workers but the votes were probably more anti-BJP and less pro-Congress.