Dharamshala: Voters across Himachal Pradesh have decided the fate of 412 candidates in polling across 68 constituencies of the state which started at 0800 hrs and concluded in all the 68 assembly seats at 1700 hrs.
Voting began in the morning after poll officials conducted a mock drill at all booths to check EVMs. Voting was scheduled from 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs.
Those in the fray include Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, former CM Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh and number of ministers and some sitting MLAs too.
It was 66 percent polling recorded till 1700 hrs and in some polling booths voting is in progress.
PM Narendra Modi in a tweet had urged voters to turn out in record numbers. Chief minister Jairam Thakur after casting his vote along with his wife Dr Sadhna Thakur and two daughters, also urged the voters to come out in large numbers to cast their votes and be a part of the festival of democracy.
Voting began at 0800 hrs on a slow note in the hill state but began to pick up as the morning progressed and the winter chill eased a bit.The Kangra valley was having a sunny day that made people to be in queues at 0700 am one hour before the first vote was cast.
The Election Commission has set up a total of 7,881 polling stations, including three auxiliary polling stations in far flung areas and 7235 polling stations were located in the rural areas. Of these, 789 were vulnerable booths and 397 as critical ones.The authorities had also set up its highest booth in Tashigang, Kaza in Spiti area of Lahaul Spiti district at a height of 15,256 feet that would cater to 52 voters.
In this booth there was 100 percent polling as all the 52 voters cast their vote Saturday.
The voters, polling staff and the party workers were in colourful traditional dress and dishes were prepared for the workers there.Of the 412 candidates in the fray this time 24 are women, 388 are male and 99 were independent.
?For the ruling BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led the campaign from the front, every vote cast for the BJP symbol will enhance his strength. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani and Anurag Thakur too campaigned in the state. The Congress campaign has principally banked on general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. AAP's campaign was rather a silent one.
The ruling BJP is hoping for an encore on the back of its development agenda, while the opposition Congress is urging voters to go by the four-decade old tradition of voting out incumbents. Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is also in the fray, with candidates in 67 out of 68 candidates.
The state is facing five major issues which include unemployment as it was 9.2 percent in September and 8.6 percent was in October where as national average is 7.6: percent as per the CMIE records. 15 lakh youths are unemployed in the state with 8.77 lakhs registered with the employment exchange.
Issue of Old Pension scheme ( OPS) has left BJP in lurch. The other three issues of Road connectivity lacking in 39 percent villages, Agnipath plan and Apple farmers issues may affect the prospects of BJP.
Issues of rebels for both BJP and Congress is worrying them. Now fate of all is sealed in the AVMs and the result will be out on December 8.(UNI)
