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Journalism of Courage
Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded its highest polling for Assembly elections, with almost 75 per cent voters casting their vote for the 68-member Assembly. Polling was peaceful, with no violence or disruption of the poll process being reported, even as the weather played the perfect host. The state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Pushpendra Rajput said they estimated turnout at 75 per cent till 5 pm, but the figure could go up as voters were still waiting at 435 polling stations.
In the 2012 election, Himachal recorded 73.51 per cent turnout, leading to a change from the BJP regime and the return of Virbhadra Singh as Chief Minister. There were a record 337 candidates in the fray, including Virbhadra who is contesting from his new constituency of Arki in Solan district, and former CM and BJP’s CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal from Sujanpur in Hamirpur district.
Expressing satisfaction over the peaceful polling, Virbhadra said, “Voter turnout was very encouraging. It looks like they have reposed faith in the Congress government and its policies despite the BJP’s massive propaganda and personalised campaign.” Dhumal, on the other hand, said the turnout showed that people were frustrated with the corrupt Congress government and mafia raj. “The BJP’s target of 50-plus will go to 60-plus. The Congress will not be able to win more than 10 seats,” he said.
The EC used VVPAT machines at 7,521 booths, including 983 polling stations that were declared vulnerable and 399 critical. There were also two all-women-manned polling stations in each constituency. The CEO said 52 EVMs and 79 VVPAT machines that developed snags were replaced by the poll staff. The EC’s Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation programme boosted turnout, officials said. Door-to-door distribution of voter slips by government officials was also seen as a factor driving voters to polling stations. Jubbal-Kotkhai constituency in Shimla district, which hit the headlines following the rape and murder of a schoolgirl, saw its highest polling at 82 per cent. Sirmaur district registered its highest turnout at 82 per cent.
