Polling Fever in the Hills: Himachal Pradesh braves snow and comes out to vote
It was a snowy day in Himachal Pradesh but that didn’t stop voters to exercise their right to franchise. From Shimla to the icy heights of Spiti, voters turned out in huge numbers to decide the fate of leaders across parties
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Voters walk through snow-covered roads to go to the polling station Chasak Bhatori in Pangi tehsil of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. As of 3 pm, the hilly state recorded 55.65 per cent of voter turnout. The highest turnout of 98.08 per cent was recorded from the world's highest polling booth located in Himachal Pradesh's Tashigang. ANI
Polling officials cross snow-covered roads to reach election booths on Saturday. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajiv Kumar said that as many as 157 polling stations across the state were solely being managed by women. ANI
Union Minister Anurag Thakur cast his vote with his family on Saturday. Talking to the media, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports said, "We're contesting under the leadership of CM Jairam Thakur. Himachal Govt did good work under his leadership for 5 yrs. So, we're confident that the people will bless us once again so that the double-engine govt comes back." Image courtesy: @ianuragthakur/Twitter
Voters lined up in a polling booth in Himachal Pradesh. According to the Election Commission, a total number of 7,881 polling stations have been set up for this year's elections with Kangra district having the highest number of booths and Lahaul and Spiti districts having the lowest. ANI
Congress MP Anand Sharma cast his vote at Shimla's Sainik Rest House Longwood. Speaking to the media he said, "There's mood for change. Vast sections of society suffered esp Govt employees, youth despondent because of unemployment, women & young people who'll serve after Agnipath." ANI
People wait for their turn to cast their votes in Himachal Pradesh. According to data released by the EC, 56,000 of the voters in the hilly state were under the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category and 37 polling stations were being handled by PwD staff. ANI
Election officials seal and secure Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) as voting concluded in Himachal Pradesh. The vote counting will begin on 8 December. ANI