On poll eve, both the BJP and the Congress claimed they were headed towards a majority and would form the government.
Here's a look at just some of the bigwigs who took the anti-Covid jab.
"For me, it is like homecoming," said the 93-year-old who returned for the second time to the Congress which he had last left ahead of the 2017 assembly elections to join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has been quizzed and his statement recorded by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with alleged kickbacks made to him and State Trading Corporation employees by some private companies.
The Home Ministry may play the role of mediator between the BCCI and the Himachal Pradesh government, which expressed its inability to provide security to the India-Pakistan World Twenty20 match scheduled to be held in Dharamsala on March 19. Home Ministry officials said there is a need to sort out the differences between after state Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh wrote a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh stating that his government cannot provide security for the match. "It is a matter of concern that Himachal Pradesh government expressed its inability to provide security to the match. It is an event involving players of two countries. We will try to convince the state government," an official said.
CBI sources said Singh appeared before the probe team on Tuesday morning and was questioned.
Former skipper Imran Khan feels that Pakistan should not play its scheduled World T20 match against India in Dharamsala on March 19 given the "hateful statements and resistance" shown by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. According to Dawn News, Imran told the media on Sunday that he was disappointment with the statements issued by the ChiefMinister. "The statement by the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister is an irresponsible one and is totally against the standards of hospitality and hosting. The Chief Minister's statements clearly promote hate," said Imran. "Amid this situation, I don't believe the Pakistan team should play at Himachal Pradesh," he added. Virbhadra Singh had earlier expressed inability to provide security for the match between India and Pakistan in the wake of objections raised by the Kangra-based families of martyrs and ex-servicemen, who consider hosting Pakistan as an "insult" to the soldiers who lost their lives in Pathankot airbase terror attack in January.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday claimed there is ample admissible evidence against Congress leader and former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh to investigate allegations he received payments from a private steel firm and demanded a SIT probe.
Passed by a voice vote, the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2022, also bans "mass conversion" - described as two or more people converting at the same time - through force or allurement .
In fresh confrontation with Team Anna, Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday said he intends to file a criminal defamation suit against Arvind Kejriwal while Congress MP Jagdambika Pal has slapped a privilege notice against the activist for allegedly insulting Parliament.
Restoration of the pre-2004 pension scheme, regularisation of contract employees after two years, enhanced daily wages, social security pension and appointment of anti-corruption grievances commissioner were the other promises made in the manifesto.
Rubbishing allegations of corruption against him by Team Anna, Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday sought an unconditional apology from its key member Arvind Kejriwal for "maligning" his name, failing which he threatened to initiate legal action against him.
Welcoming Union Minister Virbhadra Singh's resignation, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday maintained it had come under public pressure and suggested that the prime minister take action against 'corrupt' ministers instead of waiting for charges to be framed against them.
No matter how smug they sound on the surface about the potential of the dissenters to disturb the proverbial applecart, the Congress and the BJP know that their electoral calculations are precariously hinged in a seemingly tight contest.
The Congress on Sunday retained the Mandi Lok Sabha seat when its candidate Pratibha Singh, wife of Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, trounced her BJP rival Jai Ram Thakur by a huge margin of over 1.36 lakh votes.
The move came a day after the Election Commission announced dates for the forthcoming assembly polls in his state.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has unilaterally withdrawn the defamation case filed against Arun Jaitley, the Union finance minister.
President Pranab Mukerjee was on Thursday accorded a warm welcome as he arrived in the state for his five-day sojourn amid the serene climes of 'The Retreat', surrounded with thick pine forests near Shimla.
"I have been given BJP ticket from Mandi and the party has informed me about this," he said.
Congress partly vehemently opposed the bill, calling it "anti people", "inhuman", "anti constitutional", "anti poor" and "draconian", and urged that it should not be passed for any reason and should be withdrawn by the government.
Under attack from BJP on corruption charges, Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh filed three defamation cases against Arun Jaitley and other party leaders, accusing them of unleashing a malicious campaign against him and his family through media to tarnish his image.
In a letter to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, state Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore said Gandhi had laid the foundation stone on June 28, 2010 in the presence of the then CM Prem Kumar Dhumal and Union minister Virbhadra Singh.
If the BJP doesn't do something quickly, Anurag Thakur and P K Dhumal will be the ones having a quiet last laugh.
The Union Council of Ministers was expanded on Thursday with the induction of 59 ministers
The BJP is the frontrunner, but incumbent Virbhadra Singh is the most popular chief ministerial candidate.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday spoke to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand seeking "timely and prompt" relief measures for flood-affected people in the two states.
Scores of Bharatiya Janata Party youth wing activists on Tuesday staged a protest outside Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's residence demanding an explanation from him on charges of corruption against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.
Under attack from Bharatiya Janata Party, former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday brushed aside allegations of income tax evasion, money-laundering and forgery as "false and fabricated" and threatened action against those behind the "malicious" campaign ahead of Himachal assembly polls.
Shah made the announcement at a public meeting, putting to rest speculation over the party's choice for the top post.
Battle lines have been drawn for Sunday's poll for the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly where political heavyweights Prem Kumar Dhumal and Virbhadra Singh are jostling for the attention of voters, for whom the issue of price rise and corruption seems to have surpassed the anti-incumbency factor.
In the chronically underdeveloped Shimla Rural segment from where charismatic state Congress chief Virbhadra Singh is fighting elections, corruption appears to be a non-issue after the five-time former Himachal chief minister was hit by graft allegations.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday ruled out resignation in the wake of corruption charges against him by the Bharatiya Janata Party, and said he was ready to face any probe by any agency.
Voters in Himachal Pradesh have traditionally brought the Congress and the BJP in power alternately.
Deshmukh, who is Science and Technology Minister, was given additional charge of the Ministry immediately after Virbhadra Singh resigned in the wake of a Himachal Pradesh court framing corruption charges against him in a 23-year-old case in June, this year.
Congress leader Virbhadra Singh recently resigned as the Union minister for micro, small and medium enterprises following allegations of corruption. He tells Kavita Chowdhury how he intends to fight both his detractors and his opponents in the upcoming Himachal Pradesh assembly polls
Alleging that the ruling Congress was becoming synonymous with corruption, the Bharatiya Janata party on Saturday alleged that there was ample evidence against Congress leader Virbhadra Singh of receiving money from a private steel firm and demanded an immediate probe into the matter.
Dismissing allegations that he had received money from a private steel company, former Union minister Virbhadra Singh on Saturday threatened legal action against all the people behind the "motivated campaign".
The Himachal Congress on Wednesday said party chief Sonia Gandhi will only decide the name of the chief ministerial candidate.
Will Nitin Gadkari manage to swing a second term as BJP president? Why were arch-rivals Anand Sharma and Virbhadra Singh hugging each other? Who is the prime minister's favourite troubleshooter? All this, and more, in this week's Dilli Gupshup.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Virbhadra Singh on Friday withdraw his plea filed in the high court seeking quashing of a First Information Report into the CD case against him or a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the matter.
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