74% vote in Himachal, highest in state polls
‘Heavy turnout indicates anti-incumbency’
Himachal Pradesh on Thursday recorded its highest-ever voter turnour of over 74 per cent in a possible indication towards a regime change in the hill state. Counting will take place after 40 days on December 18 along with that of Gujarat where polling is scheduled to take place on December 9 and 14.
The hill state, which has largely witnessed a bipolar polity, has had a Congress government for the last five years and there are indications that the BJP might storm to power this time. According to pollsters, a high turnout indicates anti-incumbency.
Except in 1998, the hill state has always given a decisive verdict. That year both Congress and BJP were tied at 31 seats each in the 68-member Assembly.
In the outgoing Assembly, the Congress and the BJP have 35 and 28 MLAs respectively. There are four Independent MLAs while one seat was vacant.
While the Congress and the BJP are contesting all 68 seats, the BSP is contesting 42 seats, the CPI(M) 14, Swabhiman Party and Lok Gathbandhan Party six each and the CPI 3.
In a high-voltage campaign which lasted nearly two weeks, star campaigners of both parties held over 450 rallies. Mr Modi and BJP president Amit Shah addressed six rallies each, while Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed three.
The BJP made corruption its main poll plank, targeting chief minister Virbhadra Singh, while the Congress focussed on the ill effects of demonetisation and hasty