SHIMLA: Voting for Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election is underway on Saturday. Himachal Pradesh, where the rulling BJP and the opposition Congress are locked in an aggressive fight, recorded a voter turnout of 55.65 per cent till 3 pm, said Election Commission.
According to the Election Commission, 55.65 per cent votes have been cast till 3 pm.
"Voting is underway in Himachal Pradesh today. Festival of democracy is worth watching" – CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar #HimachalPradesh #HimachalPradeshElections #GoVote#AssemblyElections2022@rajivkumarec @SpokespersonECI @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @PIBShimla @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/ybSpfORef7
— Election Commission of India #SVEEP (@ECISVEEP) November 12, 2022
Only around five per cent polling was recorded in the first hour, while till 11 am, it was 19.98 per cent. It notched up to 37.19 percent by 1 pm and till 3 pm, the state recorded a 55.65 per cent turnout.
मतदान करने के लिए हर वर्ग में रहा उत्साह!
— CEO Himachal (@hpelection) November 12, 2022
हिमाचल प्रदेश विधान सभा चुनाव 2022 में आज दोपहर 3 बजे तक 55% मतदान दर्ज किया गया।@mangarg2002@ECISVEEP
@DDNewsHimachal
@airnewsalerts
@PIB_India
@CBC_MIB #UTSAV #ECI #NoVoterTobeleftBehind #HPElection2022 #EveryVoteCounts pic.twitter.com/a3qsuEVKQX
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, voted in Mandi along with his wife and daughters after offering prayers at a local temple, while Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh and her son Vikramaditya Singh voted in Rampur. Earlier in the day, the Congress leader along with her son paid obeisance at the Shani temple in Shimla.
#BJP leader and Chief Minister #JaiRamThakur, his wife and two daughters cast their votes for the #HimachalPradesh Assembly polls.#HimachalPradeshElections @jairamthakurbjp pic.twitter.com/aN5yA1JkJL
— IANS (@ians_india) November 12, 2022
Former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and his son, and Union Minister Anurag Thakur voted in Hamirpur along with family members. Former Union minister Anand Sharma voted in Shimla while CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri and his family voted in Haroli, from where he is contesting.
BJP president J P Nadda voted along with family members in Bilaspur, while former chief minister Shanta Kumar also cast his vote.
आज लोकतंत्र के महापर्व पर विजयपुर, हिमाचल प्रदेश में अपने परिवार के साथ समृद्ध देवभूमि के लिए मतदान किया।
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) November 12, 2022
मैं हिमाचल प्रदेश के अपने सभी भाई, बहन, युवा साथियों व माताओं से अधिक से अधिक संख्या में मतदान कर प्रदेश में सुशासन प्रिय, विकासवादी सरकार चुनने की अपील करता हूँ। pic.twitter.com/6Zvnm6LAiE
Voting began at 8 am on a slow note but picked up as the day progressed and the sun warmed the winter chill. The assembly election is a crucial test for the BJP which is hoping to beat precedent and return to power while the Congress has urged voters to go by tradition of voting out the incumbent.
A total of 412 candidates are in the fray in the assembly elections.
However, there are more than 55 lakh voters in the state.