Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 LIVE Updates: Voting ends, final polling percentage to come soon
Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: A total of 7,881 polling stations have been set up for polling in the 68 Assembly seats.
A voter turnout of 37.19 percent was recorded in Himachal Pradesh till 1 pm. The voting for 68 Assembly seats in the hill state started at 8 am Saturday and will continue till 5 pm. The hill state has seen the power alternate between the BJP and Congress over the past several elections. While the BJP has expressed confidence in returning to power on the basis of the performance in both state and centre and its vision for the state, the Congress is banking on anti-incumbency and on some of its electoral promises. The new entrant, Aam Adami Party (AAP), too hopes to create a mark in the state and is contesting on all 68 seats.
The key constituencies include Seraj from where Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is contesting again. Congress has put up Chetram Thakur who had contested the seat last time also.
According to the Election Commission, a total of 55,92,828 electors of which 27,37,845 are women, 28,54,945 men and 38 were third-gender, will decide the faith of 412 candidates. The voters need to carry their Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) and show it at the polling booth.
According to Election Commission, a total of 7,881 polling stations have been set up for the polls. The Kangra district has a maximum of 1,625 polling stations while the Lahaul-Spiti district has the lowest 92. The counting of votes will take place on December 8.
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Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: A total of 7,881 polling stations have been set up for polling in the 68 Assembly seats.
Images of Tashigang, the highest voting station in the world, reveal a colourful and lively democracy.
The constituency of Seraj saw the highest turnout (70%) and the lowest turnout (45%).
Among the individual districts, Lahaul and Spiti had the greatest turnout (62.75%), followed by Sirmour (60.38%), and Mandi (58.9%).
In Tashigang, Himachal Pradesh, home to the world's highest polling station, 51 of 52 eligible voters cast ballots. Thus, there was a turnout of 98.08 percent of eligible voters. Tashigang, Kaza in the Spiti section of the Lahaul Spiti district is the location of the polling station. This location is 15,256 feet above sea level.
If the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins the upcoming assembly election in Himachal Pradesh, the current chief minister will remain the party's CM face, according to BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda.
"The election has been contested under the leadership of Jai Ram Thakur and he will continue," Nadda told ANI. The head of the BJP also lashed out at the opposition, calling its politicians "careerist."
The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee has reportedly accused the BJP of deploying a hoax letter to influence voters in the state election.
In a letter to CEC Rajiv Kumar, Congress wrote: "I am bringing to your kind notice that a letter is being circulated on various media platforms on the official letter pad of Rajiv Shukla ji, Hon'ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) & former Minister to the Union of India (Incharge- Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee) with motives to influence voting patterns in favor of BJP Himachal Pradesh."
In all 68 of Himachal Pradesh's assembly districts, voting will go on until 5 pm in the evening.
37.19 percent voter turnout recorded in Himachal Pradesh till 1 pm.
1.2 lakh voters above 80 years of age
"I salute 1.2 lakh voters in the state who are above 80 yrs of age. Drawing inspiration from them, youth gets the opportunity to go ahead," CEC Rajiv Kumar said.
First-time voter Lobjaang was delighted after casting his vote at the world's highest Polling Station in Tashigang, Lahaul and Spiti.
Naro Devi, a 105-year-old voter, cast her vote in the Churah Assembly constituency.
17.98 percent voter turnout has been recorded in Himachal Pradesh till 11 am, data on the Turnout app shows.
Congress MP Anand Sharma cast his vote at Sainik Rest House Longwood, Shimla polling station.
A voter turnout of 5.02% was recorded in Himachal Pradesh till 9 am. 1.56% turnout in Lahaul and Spiti, and 6.26% in Sirmaur.
Election Commission urges people to participate in the festival of democracy and cast their votes.
State Congress chief Pratibha Singh and her son and party MLA Vikramaditya Singh cast their votes.
World’s highest polling station in Tashigang
Tashigang in Lahaul and Spiti has the world’s highest polling station at 15,256 ft and 52 registered voters. It is set to retain its record of 100 percent voter turnout in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election
Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur and his family cast their votes in Seraj Assembly constituency.
People cast their votes in Shimla for the Himachal Pradesh Elections.
As voting begins for the Himachal Pradesh election 2022, voters cast their vote at a polling station in Samirpur, Hamirpur.
Voting for 68 Assembly constituencies has begun in Himachal Pradesh from 8 am Saturday and will continue till 5 pm.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested voters across Himachal Pradesh to participate in the Assembly polls today.
412 candidates in the fray
Around 56 lakh voters will decide the fate of 412 candidates. The elections will decide the fates of CM Jairam Thakur, CLP Leader Mukesh Agnihotri, Chairman of Congress Campaign Committee Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and several other prominent leaders.
Other parties contesting Himachal polls
Parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Rashtriya Devbhumi Party (RDP) are also in the fray.
Key candidates
Chief minister Jairam Thakur, former CM Virbhadhra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh and former BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti are among the key candidates in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.
Preparations begin for polling for the Himachal Pradesh elections today, visuals from a booth in Hamirpur.
7,881 polling stations
A total of 7,881 polling stations have been set up for today's polls. There are 7,235 polling stations in rural and 646 polling stations in urban areas.
2017 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections result
In 2017, BJP swept the Himachal polls, bagging 44 of the total 68 seats while Congress managed to get 21 seats.
Security arrangement
67 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) comprising 6,700 personnel and 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies have been deployed for holding free and fair Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh.
Key constituencies
- Seraj
- Haroli
- Nadaun
- Shimla Rural
- Darang