Himachal Pradesh bypolls: Congress wins Mandi Lok Sabha, all three Assembly seats

The Congress on Tuesday won the Mandi Lok Sabha and all three Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh where the bypolls were held on October 30, a setback for the ruling BJP, with CM Jai Ram Thakur saying the party will introspect.

The Mandi seat, which was earlier held by the BJP, was won by former chief minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh.

She defeated BJP's Khushal Thakur, a Kargil war hero, by a margin of 7,490 votes.

Mandi is the home district of CM Thakur, who alleged that some BJP workers "operated" against the party candidates but said they will introspect.

The Congress retained Fatehpur and Arki Assembly seats while it wrested Jubbal-Kotkhai seat from the BJP, according to results announced by the Election Commission.

The BJP failed to save its deposit in Jubbal-Kotkhai.

Congress candidates Bhawani Singh Pathania, Sanjay and Rohit Thakur won from Fatehpur, Arki and Jubbal-Kotkhai Assembly constituencies, respectively.

In Mandi, Pratibha Singh got 3,69,565 votes against 3,62,075 secured by the BJP candidate.

Bhawani Singh Pathania (24,449) of the Congress beat BJP's Baldev Thakur (18,660) by a margin of 5,789 in Fatehpur.

Former state minister Dr Rajan Sushant got 12,927 votes as an independent candidate.

In Arki, Congress candidate Sanjay (30,798) won with a margin of 3,219 votes from BJP's Rattan Singh Pal (27,579).

In Jubbal-Kotkhai, Rohit Thakur (29,955) of the Congress won by 6,293 votes, defeating independent candidate Chetan Singh Bragta (23,662). BJP candidate Neelam Seraik failed to save her deposit and got only 2,644 votes.

State Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on moral grounds after the BJP's defeat.

He told reporters that the Congress has won the "semifinal" and will also emerge victorious in the Assembly elections in December next year.

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On the other hand, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the BJP will introspect the causes which led to the party’s defeat in the bypolls.

CM Thakur alleged that some BJP workers operated against the party candidates.

"Action will be taken against them," he said.

"The party will formulate a strategy to overcome its shortcomings and do everything possible to ensure victory in the 2022 Assembly elections," Thakur said.