Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls today: EC to webcast live from 2,300 polling stations

The ruling Congress and BJP are contesting all 68 seats with Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal as CM candidates for their respective parties. BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by CPM — 14.

Himachal Pradesh 2017 assembly elections, Himachal elections, Himachal polls, Virbhadra Singh, Prem Kumar Dhumal, Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, BJP, Congress, indian express

There are 337 candidates, including sitting Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal among 62 sitting MLAs, contesting the November 9 polls.

With more than 37,000 poll officials, 17,770 policemen, home-guards and 65 companies of paramilitary on election duty, the Election Commission on Wednesday also decided to introduce live webcast from 2,300 polling stations, out of total 7,525 in the state, to ensure free and fair polling across 12 districts of Himachal Pardesh.

There are 337 candidates, including sitting Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal among 62 sitting MLAs, contesting the November 9 polls.

“We have kept helicopters at stand-by, besides having hired boats to ferry election material and also polling parties in case of emergencies, apart from traditional means like mules being used in the earlier elections,” announced Chief Electoral Officer Pushpendra Rajput here on Wednesday evening.

Himachal Pradesh Elections 2017 LIVE updates

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Polling parties, with EVMs and VVPAT machines, have al ready started moving to their assigned polling stations. There are 24 polling stations, where the polling parties have to travel more than five km, while 20 others have two to five km of distance to cover. Twenty-one polling booths have 2 km mountain journey to be covered on foot. Polling parties have hired porters to carry the material in these remote locations.

This is first time when EC will use VVPAT machines in elections. Rajput said, “Massive awareness exercise has also been done by the EC and returning officers on use of VVPAT machines, and keeping the voters’ secrecy. There will be no compromise on secrecy of the votes is use of VVPAT machines.”

The ruling Congress and BJP are contesting all 68 seats with Virbhadra Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal as CM candidates for their respective parties. BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by CPM — 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party are contesting six seats each and CPI is fighting on three. There are 19 women candidates in the fray.

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