Himachal panchayat elections witness 77% turnout in Phase 1
At 84.2%, Kullu saw highest polling, followed by Solan 83.64% and Sirmaur 82.5%, says state electoral officer
DHARAMSHALA: People queued up at booths in Himachal Pradesh as polling began for the first phase of panchayat elections amid the pandemic on Sunday.
The state recorded over 77.50% turnout, officials said here. Polling, which was held through ballot papers, started at 8am and picked up pace as the day progressed.
Kullu recorded highest 84.20% turnout, Solan 83.64% and Sirmaur 82.5%, said state electoral officer Sanjeev Mahajan.
Elections were held as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid down by the state government in the wake of Covid-19 crises. Voters were ther
mally scanned at the entry of booths. A one-hour window from 4pm to 5pm was reserved for Covid patients to cast their ballot. As many as 1,227 panchayats out of total 3,583 went to polls in the first round. A total of 102 panchayats have already been elected unanimously in the state.
Mahajan said polling was held in 60 panchayats of Bilaspur, 114 in Chamba, 85 in Hamirpur, 276 in Kangra, 26 in Kinnaur, 81 in Kullu, 2 in Spiti, 190 in Mandi, 138 in Shimla, and 87 in Sirmaur among others.
A total of 7,593 polling parties have been deployed to conduct the polls. Polling for second phase will be held on January 19 and third phase on January 21.
Chief minister predicts ‘big victory’ for BJP
Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thakur cast his vote along with his wife Dr Sadhna Thakur at a polling booth set up in Kurani Government Primary School at his home panchayat Murhag of Mandi’s Seraj assembly segment.
He said over 70% BJP-sup
ported candidates had won elections for urban local bodies (ULBs) recently and similar trends are expected in the panchayat polls. He said “good people should get elected and if elected candidate follows ruling party’s ideology, they would be more effective in taking the government’s welfare schemes and polices to the common masses”.
Thakur said harmony should prevail after the election results are announced. He also expressed gratitude to the people for coming out in number to cast their ballot and also to the residents of those panchcyats which have elected their representatives unanimously.
Panic after dead crow falls near polling booth
Panic gripped the Bhandarka area in Haripur panchayat of Chamba district after a crow dropped dead near the polling booth. The polling party informed the authorities after which a team of animal husbandry department rushed to the spot. Deputy director, animal husbandry, Rajesh Singh, said samples of the bird have been sent for testing.