Congress' Mandeep Chatha Wins Pehowa Constituency

As counting nears end, Congress candidate Mandeep Chatha has defeated BJP’s Jai Bhagwan Sharma in Pehowa Constituency, according to an update by the Election Commission. Mandeep Chatha has won by a margin of 6553 votes.

The BJP has secured a comfortable return to power, accumulating 48 seats while the Congress trailed behind with 37 seats. Despite anti-incumbency due to farmers demonstrations, wrestlers protest and youth’s fury over unemployment and schemes such as Agnipath, the saffron party has managed to secure 48 seats – above the number it won during the 2019 assembly elections. The surprising result appeared opposite to what the exit polls suggested. The surveys had predicted a comfortable victory for the grand old party.

Notably, the Congress party has alleged EVM manipulation and other unfair practices. It has also refused to accept the result.