Himachal Pradesh will go to polls on Thursday with traditional rivals, the Congress and the BJP locking horns in all 68 constituencies where 337 candidates including 62 MLAs are in the fray. More than 50 lakh people will cast their votes for the election. The results will be announced 40 days later on 18 December. [caption id=“attachment_4195575” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Virbhadra Singh. PTI[/caption] A party needs to win at least 35 seats to form government in Himachal Pradesh. According to
NDTV in 2012, the Congress had won 36 seats while the BJP had won 26 seats. At present, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively in the 68-member House besides four independents while one seat is vacant. A total of 50,25,941 voters are eligible to cast their vote. As many as 7,525 polling booths have been set up in the state and 37,605 polling personnel have been deputed for poll duty. The electoral contest in the State, according to The Hindu, has been largely bipolar, with power alternating between the Congress and the BJP. The ruling Congress led by the chief minister and the BJP led with former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal are contesting all 68 seats while the BSP is contesting 42 seats, followed by the CPM 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI 3. The 12-days high-voltage campaign, which came to an end on Tusday, saw over 450 rallies by star campaigners of the BJP and the Congress including Prime minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah who addressed seven and six rallies respectively. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed three rallies. Corruption was the main focus of the BJP campaign with the party training its guns at Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, while the Congress hit out at the BJP over the issue of GST and demonetisation. With inputs from PTI
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election 2017 highlights: Around 74% voter turnout till 5pm; BJP, Congress each claim thumping win
Himachal Pradesh will go to polls on Thursday with traditional rivals, the Congress and the BJP locking horns in all 68 constituencies
 "Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election 2017 highlights: Around 74% voter turnout till 5pm; BJP, Congress each claim thumping win")
BJP confident of a thumping victory
People in #HimachalPradesh are saying ' BJP 60 mein baaki sab 8 mein', which means Congress will go down to single digits: Anil Baluni,BJP Media Cell Chief pic.twitter.com/kRFrfWj1jZ
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017
ananyas [9:33 PM]
Polling still on at a few stations
#चंबा
— News18Himachal (@News18Himachal) November 9, 2017
हिमाचल विधानसभा चुनाव
प्रदेश के कई मतदान केंद्रों में अभी भी जारी मतदान
चुराह के छप्पा में कतारों में खड़े मतदाता
लाहौल-स्पीति के कोपला में भी जारी मतदान
Chill in weather replaces poll fever; snowfall reported after voting ends
Soon after the polling exercise concluded in Himachal Pradesh, snowfall was reported from Kinnaur hills.
#रिकांगपिओ
— News18Himachal (@News18Himachal) November 9, 2017
मतदान समाप्त, हिमपात शुरू
चुनावी गर्मी के बाद हिमाचल में ठंडा हुआ मौसम
मौसम ने बदला रुख
किन्नौर जिला की पहाड़ियों पर बर्फबारी शुरू
Electoral fate of 337 candidates locked in EVMs
#HimachalPradeshElections: Polling ends, visuals from a polling station in Mandi pic.twitter.com/DvuH1oQCLF
— India TV (@indiatvnews) November 9, 2017
Several reports of malfunctioning of EVMs, VVPATs; Himachal first state to use paper trail machines
Reports of fault in VVPAT machines were received in Sirmaur district while polling started late by 15-20 minutes in some polling booths, PTI reported. Journalist Raghavendra Rao tweeted that 58 EVMs and 102 VVPATs had to be replaced during actual polling in the state. He said that the maximum number of technical snags were reported from in Una district, followed by Mandi, Kangra, Solan and Shimla regions.
Most #EVM & #VVPAT failures in Una, followed by Mandi, Kangaroo, Solan & Shimla #HimachalElections2017
— Raghvendra Rao (@raghvendra_rao) November 9, 2017
Polling Percentage breakup in Shimla region
#शिमला
— News18Himachal (@News18Himachal) November 9, 2017
4 बजे तक शिमला शहरी विस क्षेत्र में 66% मतदान
शिमला ग्रामीण में 62 प्रतिशत मतदान कसुम्पटी में 61 प्रतिशत मतदान
चौपाल में 70 प्रतिशत मतदान
रोहड़ू में 64 प्रतिशत मतदान,जुब्बल-कोटखाई में 75 फीसदी मतदान
ठियोग में 71 प्रतिशत मतदान
रामपुर विस क्षेत्र से 66 प्रतिशत मतदान दर्ज
Nalagarh records 80% polling
#नालागढ़
— News18Himachal (@News18Himachal) November 9, 2017
हिमाचल विधानसभा चुनाव
दून में 4 बजे तक 66 प्रतिशत मतदान
नालागढ़ में 80 प्रतिशत मतदान दर्ज
शांतिपूर्ण ढंग से जारी मतदान
64.8 polling in till 4PM
A total of 50.25 lakh electorate, including 19 lakh women and 14 transgenders, will decide the fate of the candidates.
The Hikkim polling station in Lahaul-Spiti district, the country’s highest polling booth at 14,567 ft, has 194 voters. The minimum number of voters – six – are at Kaa village in Kinnaur district. The polling will continue till 5 pm.
Women voters turn out in strength
Did you know, over 1,000 Tibetans are eligible to cast their votes in Himachal?
Tibetan refugees in India cannot apply for government jobs and routinely face difficulties. They don’t get land lease documents, and are neither eligible for the government’s developmental schemes. However, the rules do allow all Tibetans born in India during 1950-1987 to get voting rights. Around 1,000 Tibetan voters are registered in Dharamsala region alone, and with the highest number of candidates in the fray, this small pocket of voters can easily play a decisive role in the tough contest.
This is what the outgoing House looked like
Tibetans in Dharamsala divided over voting in Assembly poll
Tibetans in Dharamsala, living in exile for long in the second capital of Himachal Pradesh, are divided over securing voting rights in India.
Some of the Tibetans feel that exercising their vote in India could dilute their struggle for freedom while others say that the Tibet movement is in their hearts and voting can’t deter them from their struggle.
Although Tibetan voters are around 1,000 in Dharamsala, contestants in the fray for the November 9 Assembly polls cannot ignore this small segment as the presence of some powerful candidates has made the contest tight.
Dharamsala has the largest number of candidates in the fray. Twelve candidates are contesting from the key constituency while the main candidates are Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma of the Congress and former minister Kishan Kapoor of the BJP.
Congress’ Vidya Stokes could have been the oldest candidate in the fray
Stokes, 89, would have been the oldest contestant if she had remained in the electoral fray. However, the Election Commission had rejected her nomination papers, citing discrepancy in documents. An eight time legislator, and Himachal Pradesh’s Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Stokes represented Theog constituency in the outgoing House.
She is the daughter-in-law of American missionary Satyanand Stokes.
Senior Congress leader Vidya Stokes cast her vote a polling booth in Shimla’s Barubag
Senior Congress leader Vidya Stokes cast her vote a polling booth in Shimla's Barubag #HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/Qj4doKbMOr
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017
Independent India’s first voter, 100-year-old Shyam Saran Negi castes his vote at Kalpa
Negi is hundred-and-one-years old and was 35 when the independent India went to polls for the first time. His wrinkled forehead and hollow cheeks may show signs of aging, but his enthusiasm to participate in yet another democratic exercise in his home state remains unsullied.
Negi says that he speaks on the basis of his health at this very moment. “You never know what might happen tomorrow,” he says, adding, “sometimes even I don’t know if I will see another day.” Negi appeals to everyone, especially the youth, to come out and vote in large numbers.
54.09% polling in Himachal Pradesh Elections till 2 pm
#HimachalPradeshElections : News Update
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 9, 2017
54.9 % voters have cast their vote till 2 pm in Himachal Pradesh State assembly elections today.
Demonetisation, or Rs 1500, may cost BJP at least this one vote in Himachal
Demonetisation may cost the BJP at least this one vote in Himachal Pradesh. Staying in the Great Himalayan National Park alone, octogenarian Chatri Devi is determined to vote against demonetisation as her three banknotes are no good. Her grudge is that could not replace her three old banknotes of Rs 500 each after last year’s denomination. “She is really upset with the BJP,” her grandson Gumat Ram told IANS.
She showed three banknotes of Rs 500 each, which she couldn’t change as the government didn’t extend the deadline for exchanging demonetised currency notes beyond 30 December last year.
Chatri Devi, 83, lives all alone in the Unesco-tagged Great Himalayan National Park, one of the richest biodiversity sites in the western Himalayas, in the picturesque Kullu Valley. Park authorities say she is the only person living in the park that is spread over 754 sq km.
101-year-old Gauri Devi casts her vote in Kullu
Kinnaur records its highest ever voting percentage
By 12 pm, Kinnaur district recorded its highest ever voting percentage of 35 percent, reported The Indian Express.
Himachal votes for a new Assembly
Voting is underway in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh where the BJP, which focused on corruption during its campaign, is seeking to dislodge the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government while deflecting attacks by rivals on demonetisation and GST.
A total of 337 candidates, including 60 sitting MLAs, are contesting for power over the 68-member legislative assembly of Himachal Pradesh, one of the very few states under Congress control.
The Himachal Pradesh results along with that of the BJP-ruled Gujarat will be a bellwether of Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity. – PTI
‘Himachal is with progress, Himachal is with Congress’
With 70,000 jobs for youth per year, Himachal has been kept away from the epidemic of unemployment, widespread elsewhere. Himachal is with progress, Himachal is with Congress. #DevbhoomiWithCongress #himachalpradeshelections
— Himachal Congress (@INCHimachal) November 9, 2017
A groom in Manali decides to cast vote first and then getting married
Here’s a look at past Assembly election results in Himachal Pradesh
Straight contest in one constituency
There is a straight contest only in one constituency (Jhanduta) while the maximum number of 12 candidates is in fray in Dharamsala.
Queue outside Kalpa polling booth in Kinnaur
Polling delayed in Sirmaur district because of faulty VVPAT machines
PTI reported that the polling in Sirmaur district was delayed by 15-20 minutes because of faulty VVPAT machines.
Country’s first voter Shyam Saran Negi casts his vote at Kalpa polling station
Negi is hundred and one years old and was 35 when the independent India went to polls for the first time.
Women in rural areas turned out in large numbers
Women in the rural areas turned out in large numbers to cast their vote. Voting began on a dull note, with below five percent polling in the first hour. By 10 am, it rose to 13 percent. – IANS
‘All indicators bespeak the shining vibrancy of Himachal under Congress’
From Human Index to Per Capita Income, all the indicators bespeak the shining vibrancy of Himachal under Congress. The land hails progressive development once again. #DevbhoomiWithCongress
— Himachal Congress (@INCHimachal) November 9, 2017
Shimla MLA and BJP candidate Suresh Bhardwaj after casting his vote
Reports of glitches in VVPAT machines
There are reports of glitches in VVPAT machines from over a dozen polling booths across the state.
Union minister JP Nadda casts his vote in Bilaspur
#HimachalElections2017 Union Minister JP Nadda casts his vote at a polling booth in Bilaspur pic.twitter.com/wt7a9jrJr0
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017
A look at Congress and BJP’s vote share in Himachal Pradesh over the years
Breakup of voting percent till 10 am
According to The Indian Express, this is the vote breakup for the first two hours
Shimla: 16 percent
Kasumpti: 22 percent
Chaupal: 15 percent
Rampur: 18 percent
Lahaul-Spiti records 9 percent polling till 10 am
Tribal district Lahaul-Spiti recorded nine percent polling till 10 am, reported Hindustan Times
VVPAT machine in Sujanpur not working
VVPAT machine in Ree polling booth of Hamirpur’s Sujanpur is not working, reported Hindustan Times.
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