Himachal Registers Strong Voter Turnout at 70%

Himachal Pradesh demonstrated a robust democratic engagement during the polling for the Lok Sabha and assembly bye-elections on Saturday, with 70 percent voter turnout recorded. The State Election Department on Sunday released the final poll percentages highlighting the enthusiastic participation despite challenging weather conditions.

The hill state’s four parliamentary constituencies saw a strong voter turnout, with Mandi registering the highest voter turnout at 72.15 percent, followed by Hamirpur at 70.70 percent, Shimla at 70.04 percent, and Kangra at 67.24 percent.

The assembly bye-elections in six constituencies also saw high voter participation, with Kutlehar witnessing highest voter turnout at 77.43 percent, Gagret at 75.49 percent, Lahaul-Spiti at 75.09 percent, Sujanpur at 74.53 percent, Barsar at 72.31 percent, and Dharamshala at 71.30 percent.

The overall turnout for the Lok Sabha elections stood at 70 percent, including postal votes, while the Assembly bye-elections recorded a slightly higher turnout at 74 percent. The Election Commission of India (ECI) aimed for an 80 percent turnout, but only a few constituencies, such as Nahan and Siraj, managed to meet this target.

Polling day was not without its challenges. The sweltering heatwave significantly affected voter turnout, especially in the lower regions of the State. Additionally, technical issues with around 50 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) led to delays, causing long queues at several polling stations. However, polling continued until every voter in line had cast their vote.

The ECI reported that the polling was mostly peaceful, with only a few minor skirmishes. All EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) were securely stored in designated strong rooms post-polling.

In Mandi parliamentary constituency, voter turnout varied significantly among its assembly segments, with Seraj and Nachan recording the highest turnouts at 77 percent each. Hamirpur constituency saw Kutlehar leading with 76 percent, while Shimla constituency’s highest was Nahan at 78 percent. Kangra constituency had a more varied turnout, with Dharamshala and Kangra both at 70 percent.

A total of 41,924 postal ballots were returned, including significant participation from senior citizens and persons with disabilities. As many 29,879 voters, aged over 85 years, cast their ballot through postal, besides 10,634 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), and 1411 individuals on essential services duty also.

The counting of votes will take place on June 4, with all eyes on the results to see how the robust voter turnout will translate into electoral outcomes. Despite the heatwave and technical issues, the high voter engagement reflects the strong democratic spirit in Himachal Pradesh.

BOX-----------I

Lok Sabha Elections Turnout

BOX-----------II

Assembly Bye-Elections turnout