The electorate in Himachal Pradesh led by the country’s first voter Shayam Saran Negi voted heavily on Wednesday to elect a fresh government at the Centre despite a windy weather at number of places.
More than 65 per cent voters exercised their franchise which is a sort of record. Maximum polling was recorded in the Hamirpur constituency where more than 68 per cent electorate cast their votes.
The former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s son Anurag Thakur is pitted against BJP rebel Rajinder Rana in an interesting triangular contest. Kamal Kanta, mother of Kargil hero Vikram Batra, is the Aam Aadmi Party nominee from Hamirpur.
The least percentage of voting was recorded for the Shimla Parliamentary seat where only 59 per cent of voters exercised their rights. It was only in the few rural segments like Rohru where a heavy polling was reported , said the officials.
The other two seats of Mandi and Kangra recorded 63 and 65 per cent of voting respectively. The polling had concluded peacefully and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere, said Narendra Chauhan, the Chief Electoral Officer.
There were 38 candidates in the fray for four Parliamentary constituencies, he said. The Sujanpur Assembly by-elections were also conducted simultaneously.
Meanwhile some voters dissatisfied with the system and government apathy did not cast their votes in Kardang and Labjung polling stations in Lahaul-Spiti of Mandi Parliamentary constituency where Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife is the candidate
