BJP or Congress? Himachal Pradesh records 65.9 per cent turnout

An elderly voter shows her inked finger after casting her vote. Pic/PTI

From Shimla to the icy heights of Spiti, people across Himachal Pradesh voted on Saturday to elect a new state government. It is a crucial test for the BJP hoping to beat precedent and return to power as well as for the Congress looking for electoral revival.

Voting began at 8 am on a slow note, but picked up as the day progressed. By 5 pm, 65.92 per cent of the electorate had voted. The highest polling of 72.35 per cent was recorded in the Sirmour district followed by 68.48 per cent in Solan and 67.67 per cent in Una and 67.5 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti.

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Braving the cold, a large number of centenarians voted in the assembly elections with 105-year-old Nari Devi exercising her franchise in Churah in Chamba and 103-year-old Pyar Singh in Shimla.

The EC had made special arrangements for the elderly and persons with disabilities at polling stations. There are over 1.21 lakh elderly above 80 years in the state, with 1,136 being centenarians.

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