Himachal Pradesh records 65.92% turnout in Assembly polls

The highest polling of 72.35% was recorded in Sirmour district followed by 68.48% in Solan and 67.67% in Una

Assembly elections were held in the state of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, with 65.92 per cent of the electorate casting their vote by 5 pm. As many as 55 lakh voters of the state are to decide the fate of 412 candidates.

Election Commission figures showed that Sirmour recorded the highest polling with 72.35 per cent of the electorate voting, followed by Solan with 68.48 per cent voting, and Una with 67.67 per cent voting.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the Himachal elections are a “festival of democracy” which is “worth watching". “It's cold, some areas are snow-covered but people are not dissuaded by that. Imagine the world’s highest booth at Tashigang in Spiti at 15,265 feet and with 52 voters; our team is among them to conduct the elections. There are 105 polling stations above 10,000 feet and our polling teams have walked as far as even 14 kilometers to set up polling stations,” said Kumar. The highest booth registered 100 per cent polling with all 54 voters casting their vote.

Also read | Braving extreme cold, voters step out in Himachal's highest polling stations

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is combating anti-incumbency in the swing state to come back to power, while the Congress is looking to continue the tradition of the state voting an alternate party to power. While the BJP was battling infighting and disgruntlement over the distribution of tickets, the Congress had to contend with the loss of its tallest leader, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, and with the prospect of one too many chief ministerial candidates.

Chief Minister Jairam Thakur urged people to vote for “development” while casting his vote in his home constituency of Seraj, while Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said he was confident the BJP will come back to power in the state while casting his vote with his father, former CM PK Dhumal. Congress’s Pratibha Singh said that she was confident that the grand old party will come back to power.

Several centenarians, too, cast their votes, with the Election Commission stating that there are over 1.21 lakh people above 80 years of age and 1,136 centenarians. 106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi, independent India’s first voter, had cast his vote on November 2 via post-ballot in what was his 34th and last assembly election, three days before he passed away on November 5. ECI officials said that 105-year-old Naro Devi was one of the oldest voters who cast her vote at polling booth number 122 at Chamba’s Churah assembly constituency.

Results for the 68-member constituency will be declared on December 8.