Congress Victory: Rakesh Kalia Triumphs Over BJP's Chaitanya Sharma in Gagret Bypoll

BJP candidate Chaitanya Sharma lost the Gagret assembly bypoll in Himachal Pradesh to Congress's Rakesh Kalia by over 8,000 votes. Kalia, a BJP rebel, contested on a Congress ticket after his disqualification. A total of 85,959 electorates participated, with a voter turnout of 75.14 percent.

In a significant political turn, BJP candidate Chaitanya Sharma was defeated by Congress's Rakesh Kalia in the Gagret assembly bypoll in Himachal Pradesh by a margin of over 8,000 votes.

According to the Election Commission, Kalia secured 35,768 votes, surpassing Sharma's 27,281. Kalia, originally a BJP rebel, joined the race on a Congress ticket after BJP fielded Chaitanya Sharma for the seat.

Previously, Sharma was among six Congress rebels who supported BJP's Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls, leading to their disqualification from the Assembly for defying party directives. These six rebels later joined BJP and contested in their respective seats.

The constituency had 85,959 registered voters, with a notable turnout of 75.14 percent.