Urban local bodies elections in Himachal today, governor tells citizens to vote responsibly
Counting of votes for 25 municipal councils and 22 nagar panchayats to be held on the same day, while for four municipal corporations to be held on May 31.
Himachal Pradesh is voting today in Urban Local Body elections for four municipal corporations, 25 municipal councils and 22 nagar panchayats. (File Photo) With the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Himachal Pradesh going to elections on Sunday, Governor Kavinder Gupta on Saturday appealed to voters to come forward and cast their votes responsibly, calling voting both a right and a duty.
The voting for four municipal corporations of Solan, Mandi, Palampur and Dharamshala, 25 municipal councils and 22 nagar panchayats will take place at 589 polling stations across the state between 7am and 3pm.
A total of 3,60,845 voters, including 1,80,963 male and 1,79,882 female and 1,808 first-time voters, will exercise their franchise in the urban local body elections.
The counting of votes for the municipal councils and the nagar panchayats will be conducted on the same day, while the counting for the four municipal corporations will take place on May 31.
The Governor said, “ULB elections play an important role in strengthening local self-governance and ensuring better civic facilities and development in towns and cities.”
The Governor also made a special appeal to first-time voters and youth to participate enthusiastically in the democratic process. “Casting a vote for the first time is a matter of pride and responsibility, and encourages young voters to contribute actively towards the future development of their cities and the state,” he said.
Gupta further appealed to people to reach their polling stations peacefully and maintain discipline, harmony and the spirit of fair elections during the voting process.
Kangra district has the highest number of candidates in the municipal elections, with 218 contestants in the fray. Mandi follows with 180 candidates, while Shimla has 123, Solan has 121, and Una has 118 candidates each contesting the polls. Bilaspur has 87 candidates, Chamba 72, Hamirpur 44, Sirmaur 84 and Kullu 100 candidates in the fray.
The State Election Commission has been providing training to polling personnel since Friday morning and dispatching them along with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Around 550 polling parties are being sent out for election duty.
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