Two per cent negative vote swept Cong out of power in HP

Shimla, Dec 30 (UNI) A negative swing of two per cent votes cost the ruling Congress 20 seats, while an about eight per cent swing in favour of the BJP brought it back to power in the Himachal Pradesh elections after five years.

The 8.4 per cent swing for the BJP took its tally to 41 seats for from last year's 17, while the Congress tally fell to 23 from 43 due to 2.1 per cent swing against it.

As many as Five Cabinet members of the Virbhadra Singh Government lost the elections, while the victory margin of the outgoing Chief Minister, former power minister Vidya Stokes and former irrigation and power minister Kaul Singh Thakur fell sharply.

Last year, the BJP had received 35.38 per cent vote as against the Congress' 41 per cent.

The BSP, which had received 0.7 per cent votes in the last assembly elections, increased its share up to 7.3 per cent besides winning the Kangra constituency.

BSP's Sanjay Chaudhary humbled three times BJP minister Vidya Sagar in a triangular contest in the constituency, while two of its candidates in Kullu and Shahpur came second relegating the Congress to the third position.

The party received 2,35,961 votes across the state, though its state convenor Vijai Singh Mankotia was defeated in Dharamshala constituency.

UNI