Himachal Pradesh Lok Sabha Election phase 7: Key constituencies to watch
The seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections is scheduled for June 1, covering 57 constituencies nationwide.
In this phase, all four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh – Shimla, Mandi, Kangra, and Hamirpur – will undergo voting.In M andi, the BJP has nominated Kangana Ranaut to contest against Congress’ Vikramaditya Singh, the heir of the Rampur royal family and son of former Himachal Pradesh chief minister late Virbhadra Singh.
The current representative of the Mandi constituency is Vikramaditya’s mother, Pratibha Singh, who has previously won in 2004 and 2013. Historically, Mandi has been a Congress stronghold, with Virbhadra Singh winning thrice from the seat. While Vikramaditya benefits from his family background and political experience, Kangana is relying heavily on the popularity of Prime Minister Modi.
In Hamirpur, currently held by Union minister Anurag Thakur, the BJP has maintained dominance. The Congress, represented by Satpal Raizada in the upcoming election, last won the seat in 1996. Anurag Thakur, who succeeded his father Prem Kumar Dhumal, has won consecutively in 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Seeking his fifth consecutive victory, Thakur faces competition across 17 assembly segments.
Kangra, established in 1952, encompasses 17 assembly segments, including Dalhousie, Chamba, Dharamshala, and Palampur. BJP’s Kishan Kapoor, the current representative, defeated Congress leader Pawan Kajal by a significant margin in 2019. However, the BJP replaced Kapoor with Rajeev Bharadwaj for the upcoming election, challenging Congress veteran Anand Sharma. Despite Congress’ early dominance, it has struggled to secure the Kangra seat in recent elections.
Shimla, currently represented by Suresh Kumar Kashyap, president of the BJP Himachal Pradesh unit, is reserved for Scheduled Castes candidates. The BJP wrested the Shimla seat from Congress in 2009 and has since maintained its hold. In 2019, Suresh Kashyap secured victory over Congress’ Dhani Ram Shandil by a significant margin. Vinod Sultanpuri of the Congress is contesting against Suresh Kashyap. Late former chief minister Virbhadra Singh represented Shimla twice in 1962 and 1967.