Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections result 2017: As it happened

All eyes are on the next CM of the hill state

SHIMLA/NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday swept the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections results 2017, decimating the incumbent Congress regime on its way. The party has won 44 seats in the 68-member Assembly. 

However, the party's win turned out to be bittersweet as star candidates Prem Kumar Dhumal (BJP CM candidate) and state party chief Satpal Singh Satti lost their seats. Their defeat has put a question mark on the face of the party's next chief minister in the hill state.

It is still unclear is the BJP parliamentary board, due to meet on December 20, will go for Dhumal as the chief minister or introduce a new face. The name of Union minister JP Nadda, who was earlier a part of BJP Himachal cabinet, has started doing the rounds. 

Thanking the voters of Himachal and Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter commenting that 'Vikas' (development) has won. Party chief Amit Shah also thanked the voters of the two states. 

Accepting defeat, newly-elevated Congress chief Rahul Gandhi posted a congratulatory tweet for BJP. 

Meanwhile, BJP veterans and senior leaders did not shy away to take credit for the polls. "Himachal polls didn't even feel like a contest,” said union minister Smriti Irani while adding, “Jo Jeeta Wahi  Sikander”.  

PM Modi also flashed a  victory sign, following which BJP cadres started celebrating the party's victory across the country. 

Rival Congress snapped just 21 seats, CPI(M) 1 and independents 2. Incumbent chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his son have won their constituencies.

The hill state has a history of electing a different party in each assembly election. BJP and Congress have been winning the state every alternate election. The initial morning trends presented an early lead for BJP. But Congress soon closed the gap. Later, BJP later bounced back in the game and by 10 am, the party had crossed the halfway mark to victory.

Below, we keep track of the latest from the vote counting centres:

18 December 2017

23:25 IST

Final seat tally for Himachal Pradesh: BJP 44, Congress 21, CPI (M) 1 and independents 2. 

21:47 IST

According to Election Commission: 

BJP won 44 seats out of 68.
CPI(M) won 1 
Congress won 20
Independent won 1.