Though polling remained peaceful, there were several instances of EVM and VVPAT malfunctioning in several areas
Himachal Pradesh saw a record turnout of over 74 percent in the Assembly elections on Thursday, up from the 73.51 percent in the 2012 elections. Speaking at a news conference at Shimla after polling ended, Chief Election Officer Pushpendra Rajput said apart from a few glitches, the polling has largely been peaceful.
Rajput said the high turnout could be attributed to greater involvement from the younger generation, while poll-watchers opined that it could be a reflection of desire for change. “In the remote and tribal areas of the state, too, the turnout has been great. One of the highest polling percentage was reported approximately 82% in Sirmour, while the lowest 69.5% was in Hamirpur district,” he said.
While the overall turnout saw an increase, Sirmour, Una, Kangra and Bilaspur were the only districts where the turnout improved from the 2012 turnout. The rest of the eight districts say a dip in the overall turnout in the constituencies.
Some of the key poll planks on which the electoral wrestle played out in the 68 constituencies were corruption, unemployment and development, with the rape and murder of a minor in Kotkhai being a key poll issue. CM Virbhadhra Singh, in his sixth term, said that this will be his final elections, while BJP’s PK Dhumal edged out union minister JP Nadda to be declared as the CM candidate. Dhumal has served as the CM two times earlier in the state where the takeover of power between key rivals BJP and Congress has been a simultaneous one since 1985.
While polling remained peaceful, there were several complaints of EVM and VVPAT malfunctioning from several polling areas. As per data from state officials, over 58 EVMs and 102 VVPATs had to be replaced during polling as they did not function well. Apart from that, over 31 balloting units in addition to 27 control units of the EVMs had to be replaced due to malfunctioning.
Despite its record turnout, polling in a few booths in Sirmour had to be delayed for over half an hour in the morning, while complaints were registered at Theog, too. In Gondla polling booth at Lahaul and Spiti district, polling had to be stopped after continuous malfunctioning. An official from the state election department said the districts from where the maximum complaints of malfunctioning EVMs and VVPATs came from were Una, Mandi, Kangra, Solan and Shimla.
Results will be declared along with that of Gujarat assembly elections on December 18.
HOW HP VOTED
Poll percentage
Kullu – 77.9%
Solan -77.4%
Una -76%
Mandi -75%
Bilaspur -75%
Kinnaur -75%
Chamba -74%
Shimla -72.5%
Lahaul -73.4%
Kangra -72%
Hamirpur -69.5%
Kullu -86%
Banjar -85%
Doon -84%
Jubbal-Kotkhai -81%
Manali -79%
Harola -78.96%
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