HP to see highest and oldest in polling today

As Himachal Pradesh goes to poll on Sunday, it will see the oldest voter and the highest polling station in action.

Shyam Saran Negi, who turned 95 this year, would be the oldest voter in Himachal Pradesh’s Kalpa village in Kinnaur district. Having retired from a government primary school in 1975, Negi has cast his votes in all elections that took place in the state since 1951.

On Sunday, as he walks up to the polling station — the world’s highest polling booth at Hikkim in Lahul Spiti assembly constituency, located at 15,000 ft above sea level — would also see flutter of activity. The polling station at Hikkam has 333 voters — 180 male and 153 female.

More than 46 lakh voters would exercise their franchise for 68 assembly seats. While the BJP and the Congress are contesting all the seats, the BSP has fielded 66 candidates while the CPM and the CPI have 15 and seven candidates, respectively. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and Sharad Yadav’s National Congress Party are also trying to gain foothold in the hill state this time.