Nowhere else is anti-incumbency more potent than in this hill state as neither Congress nor BJP could rule for two consecutive terms since 1985. Even the six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has been deprived of this favour by the otherwise ‘simple’ hill folks.

The power has evenly oscillated between Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party after 1985. Himachal Pradesh was accorded statehood on 25 January 1971.

The first Assembly polls were held in November 1951 to the 36-member Vidhan Sabha. The Congress won 24 seats and the first ministry headed by Dr YS Parmar was sworn in on 24 March 1952. The first elections were held after the passing of the ‘Government of Part “C” States Act’, which conceded democratic government of a limited character.

This was the time when the Congress ruled the hearts of the people, who were basking in the hard-earned Independence. Parmar, who has been given the sobriquet of ‘Himachal Nirmata’, occupied the post for 18 years — from 1952 to 1956; and 1963 to 1977.

Virbhadra Singh tops the chart when it comes to occupying the CM’s chair. He has held the office for record six times and is in the reckoning for another innings as he has already been announced as the CM candidate by the Congress.

Others who held the coveted chair are: Thakur Ram Lal (Congress), Shanta Kumar (Janata Party/BJP) and Prem Kumar Dhumal (BJP).

A state known for its natural beauty, temples and apples, Himachal touches China on one side with states of Jammu-Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand encircling it.

The state joined the democratic process of elections with 36 assembly segments in 1952, which rose to 60 in 1967 and then to 68.

In the last assembly polls in 2012, the Congress won 36 of the 68 seats with a vote share of 42.81 per cent, while the BJP bagged 26 seats (38.47% vote share).

Congress vs BJP over the years in Himachal

Elections 2017

The state will go to the polls on November 9 when nearly 46 lakh voters will decide the fate of 459 candidates. This time there are 34 women candidates in the fray.

With 16 contestants, Dehra seat has the largest number of candidates, and Churah and Nadaun has the lowest with three candidates each.

A total of 105 Independent candidates are in the fray across the state.

Besides the Congress and the BJP, which are fighting on all the seats, regional parties including CPI (M), BSP, SP, Shiv Sena and NCP, too, have fielded their candidates. BSP is contesting on 66 seats.

Sullah is the largest seat when it comes to number of electors (89293), while Lahaul-Spiti has the largest area but the least voters (22344).

State’s chief ministers

Yashwant Singh Parmar  (Congress) occupied the post from 1952 to 1956 and 1963 to 1977.

Ram Lal Thakur  held the office for a brief period (about three months) from January 1977 to April 1977. He again became the CM in February 1980 and continued till April 1983.

Shanta Kumar of the BJP occupied the CM office twice, first as a Janata Party representative in 1977 and then as a BJP leader in 1990.

A six-time chief minister, scion of earstwhile Bushahr state Virbhadra Singh first took over the top post on 8 April 1983 and again became CM on 5 March 1985 after mid-term polls. The Congress party came to power and took over as CM for the third time on 3 December 1993. In 1998, the Congress emerged as the single largest party in the hung assembly and Singh was again sworn in as CM on 5 March 1998 but he failed to win the trust vote and resigned. He again assumed the office of the CM on 6 March 2003 and then in 2012.

Prem Kumar Dhumal (BJP) ruled the state for two full terms from 1998 to 2003 and then from 2007 to 2012.

District-wise assembly seats

Of the 11 districts in the state, Kangra has the largest (15) assembly segments and Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur have the lowest with one each. Mandi district has 10 seats, Shimla (8), Una (5), Chamba (5), Sirmaur (5), Solan (5), Hamirpur (5), Bilaspur (4) and Kullu (4).