New Delhi, Nov.4 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said that 73 per cent polling was recorded till 5 p.m. in the single-phased election to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh State Assembly, and added that this figure was likely to change as final voter percentage figures were still to come in.
Addressing a news conference in the capital this evening Deputy Election Commissioner Alok Shukla told media persons that elections were peacefully held in 12 districts and 68 assembly constituencies of Himachal Pradesh.
Shukla said that out of the 459 candidates in the electoral fray, 425 were male and 34 female. He said that in all 46 lakh 8 thousand 3 hundred and fifty nine people had cast their vote, and out of them 74,646 were service people, while the rest comprised the general public of the state.
He further revealed that 36630 government employees were deployed for poll duty, and added that there were 7253 polling stations in 6557 locations across the state. He said 767 polling stations were hyper-sensitive, while 1310 were declared as sensitive.
There were 28 general observers, one police observer, 27 expenditure observers, 12 awarenesss observers, 68 assistant expenditure observers and 1201 micro-observers, Shukla said.
He further revealed that 1005 video caemeras and 4389 still cameras were in use during the polls, while 490 locations had the facility of live web casting.
About 40 hamlets in the state were declared as vulnerable, he said.
Polling began on a dull note on Sunday morning due to cold weather conditions. The minimum temperature was hovering around freezing point in Chopal in Shimla district and in Kaza area.
"At least seven EVMs were replaced due to malfunctioning, four of them in Kullu and one each on Shimla and Bilaspur," Himachal's Chief Electoral Officer Narinder Chauhan, was quoted, as saying earlier in the day.
Polling was by and large peaceful and no untoward incident was reported.
Election officials said that average voting was below eight per cent in the first hour, but it crossed 18 per cent by 10.45 a.m.
The poll percentage in the last election was 71.61 per cent. While a turn out 25 to 30 per cent turn out was reported from lower areas of Kangra, Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur till noon, some polling booths in Palampur, Nagrota and Hamirpur recorded 45 to 50 per cent voting.
In Shimla district, 30 percent polling was reported in Rampur, 28 percent in Rohroo, 33 percent in Theog and 22 percent in Jubbal and 22 percent in Shimla town.
Union Commerce and Industries minister, Anand Sharma, who cast his vote a Kelston polling booth in Shimla, claimed that the Congress would win and form the government. Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, who exercised his franchise in Samirpur, which in now a part of his Hamirpur constituency, claimed that BJP would repeat its poll performance and win 45 seats against 41 seats it had won in 2007 Assembly polls.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president and former chief minister V.B. Singh cast his ballot at Rampur.
Many voters reportedly complained that delimitation of constituencies had become a hurdle for them in exercising their franchise.
There are 459 candidates in the fray. The electorate comprises 46.08 lakh voters, including 22.31 lakh women. Counting of votes will take place on December 20. (ANI with inputs)
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