Kalka: BJP candidate Shakti Rani Sharma, 71, has been elected as the MLA for Kalka, defeating Congress incumbent Pradeep Chaudhary by a margin of 10,953 votes. As the only female candidate in the Kalka assembly constituency, Sharma secured 41.51% of the vote share, totaling 60,612 votes.
Although she initially trailed Independent candidate Gopal Sukhomajri in the first three rounds of counting, she established a consistent lead from the fourth round onward.
Although her winning margin began to decrease after the 12th round, she ultimately won decisively.
Sharma was the wealthiest candidate in the Kalka constituency, with assets valued at ₹144 crore, ranking her among the top 10 crorepatis in the state.
Often labeled an outsider, she focused her campaign on the holistic development of Kalka, presenting a detailed roadmap that included specific manifestos for each of the four blocks in the constituency.
Her promises included reviving HMT, Pinjore, creating job opportunities, and achieving subdivision status for Raipur Rani and Morni. Chaudhary, her rival, who received 49,729 votes (34.06% vote share), criticized her for being an outsider.
