Despite the two-month intense campaign, the polling percentage is significantly lower than the 2019 figure of 80.1 per cent -- the highest ever in the state
Representational image. Pic/iStock
A voter turnout of about 70 per cent was recorded on Saturday in the four Lok Sabha constituencies of Himachal Pradesh where polling was held in the last phase of the general election. Prominent candidates in the fray are Union minister Anurag Thakur (BJP), former Union minister Anand Sharma (Congress), Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut (BJP), state PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh (Congress) and former BJP state chief and sitting BJP MP from Shimla Suresh Kashyap. While the polling ended at 6 pm, officials said the voter turnout figure could increase as the data is being compiled. Despite the two-month intense campaign, the polling percentage is significantly lower than the 2019 figure of 80.1 per cent -- the highest ever in the state.
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However, the elections passed off peacefully and no untoward incident was reported, officials said. As many as 62 candidates -- 37 for the four Lok Sabha seats and 25 for the assembly by-elections -- contested the polls. Three villages in the Churah subdivision of Chamba district boycotted polls as they pressed for their demand for road connectivity. According to officials, the Kangra parliamentary seat recorded 66.50 per cent polling, Mandi 71.90 per cent, Hamirpur 69.54 per cent and the Shimla (SC) seat 70.08 per cent. Of the six assembly constituencies where bypolls were held simultaneously, Dharamshala recorded a turnout of 66.27per cent, Lahaul and Spiti 75.09 per cent, Sujanpur 74.10 per cent, Barsar 69 per cent, Gagret 73 per cent and Kutlehar 76.20 per cent. The polling percentage was 14.35 till 9 am, 31.92 till 11 am, 48.63 till 1 pm, 58.41 till 3 pm and 66.56 till 5 pm. Rain played spoilsport at some places in the evening.
The BJP filed a complaint against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu with the chief electoral officer of Himachal Pradesh alleging a violation of the model code of conduct. The complaint said Sukhu wore a scarf of the National Students Union of India -- the student wing of the Congress -- while voting in Nadaun which was objectionable and demanded action against the CM and the election agent. In Chamba district's Churah subdivision, residents of the Makhan-Chachul area falling under the Sanval gram panchayat and Juri under Chadra Gram Panchayat boycotted the Lok Sabha polls over road connectivity. "We will not vote until the district administration comes here and listens to our grievances," Ravi, a local resident, said, alleging that although the administration was apprised of the problems, nothing has changed. "We are still waiting for internet connectivity, road and electricity and the situation is so pathetic that if someone falls ill, we have to carry patients on foot for 4-5 km to reach a health centre," said Mukesh, another villager. The six assembly seats, where the bypolls are being held, fell vacant after the disqualification of six Congress legislators from the Vidhan Sabha for defying a party whip to vote in favour of the government during the budget.
Later these MLAs joined the BJP and were fielded from their respective assembly constituencies. BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda was the first to vote at the Vijaypur Anganwadi centre in his home district Bilaspur. He was accompanied by his wife Mallika Nadda. Later, the BJP leader met with people and had tea at a shop owned by an old friend. Union minister and BJP candidate from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur, accompanied by his father and former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and other family members, cast his vote at the Samirpur polling booth in Hamirpur district. Congress candidate from Mandi Lok Sabha seat Vikramaditya Singh, his mother and state party chief Pratibha Singh paid obeisance at a temple in Rampur before arriving at their polling booth to vote. Ranaut also exercised her franchise, besides BJP state president Rajiv Bindal, and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur. Sukhu and his deputy Mukesh Agnihotri along with their families cast their votes in their home constituencies of Nadaun in Hamirpur and Haroli in Una district. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and Chief Electoral Officer of Himachal Pradesh Manish Garg cast their votes in Shimla.
Sukhu said people will give a befitting reply to those indulging in the "purchase" of MLAs and making an attempt to topple the elected Congress government in the state. Meanwhile, Bindal said the people were standing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP would win all four Lok Sabha and six assembly seats. A large number of people, especially women voters, were seen in long queues outside polling centres. Elderly citizens, first-time voters and people with disabilities also came to exercise their franchise. Pyar Singh (105) and Akalveer Negi (90) appealed to voters to exercise their franchise for a developed nation after casting their votes in Chamba and Rampur in Shimla district. An ailing elderly woman, who was on oxygen support, came to cast her vote in Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district. Adequate deployment of security forces has been made at 7,992 polling booths and two auxiliary polling stations, while 369 polling booths have been identified as critical, according to officials. As many as 57,11,969 voters, including 438 people above the age of 100 years, are eligible to vote.
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