The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ahead in just one of the three Assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh bypolls. There is a tight race in Himachal, which went for bypolls last week, with Congress in for the single Lok Sabha seat.
Congress is also ahead in the other two Assembly seats. The lead in Mandi Lok Sabha seat is swinging between BJP and Congress. Congress had fielded Pratibha Singh, wife of late former six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. On the other hand, BJP had fielded Kargil war hero Brigadier Kushal Chand Thakur (retd).
Pratibha Singh had nearly 2.7 lakh votes to Chand Thakur's 2.61 lakh by 11.35 pm. The Mandi seat was held by the BJP previously, and the death of MP Ram Swaroop Sharma in March triggered the bypolls.
In Fatehpur Vidhan Sabha seat, BJP's Baldev Thakur is narrowly ahead of Congress' Bhawani Singh Pathania. Fatehpur, which has been a Congress strong hold for Congress for over a decade, went into polls due to the death of party MLA and former minister Sujan Singh Pathania in February.
In the Arki Assembly seat, Congress' Sanjay Awasthi holds a good lead over BJP's Rattan Singh Pal. Due to the death of veteran Congress leader Virbhadra Singh, polls were conducted here.
Congress also leads in the race for Jubbal-Kothkai Assembly seat where Rohit Thakur has a strong lead over independent candidate Chetan Singh Bragta. BJP's Neelam Seraik is a distant third.
Due to the death of sitting BJP MLA Narinder Bragta in June, the seat went into bypolls.
