look news india
Shimla, June 01 (HS). In the last phase of Lok Sabha elections, voting for by-elections in all four parliamentary constituencies and six assembly constituencies of Himachal Pradesh started at 7 am on Saturday. The weather is clear in most parts of the state including the capital Shimla today and people have started gathering in large numbers at polling stations. Voters started queuing up at 6:30 am at polling stations in the plain districts. First-time voters are showing great enthusiasm for voting. Voting is being done at 1058 polling stations in Shimla district.
Voting will continue till 6 pm in four Lok Sabha seats Shimla, Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur. Similarly, voting is also being held in six assembly seats Dharamshala, Barsar, Sujanpur, Gagret, Kutlehar and Lahaul-Spiti.
According to the Election Commission data, a total of 57.11 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes. These include 28.48 lakh male and 27.97 lakh female voters. 62 candidates are trying their luck in the hill state. These include 37 candidates in the Lok Sabha elections and 25 in the assembly by-elections. The main contest is between BJP and Congress on all the seats.
Chief Electoral Officer Manish Garg said that out of the total 7992 polling stations in the state, 369 have been identified as sensitive. Kangra district has the highest number of 118 sensitive polling stations. 44 green polling stations have also been set up in the state.
The highest polling station (15256 meters) has been set up at Tashigang in Lahaul-Spiti. There are 62 voters in this polling station.
He said that there are 1254 centenarian voters in the state. Their age is 100 years or more and the Election Commission is enthusiastically welcoming all these voters at the polling booths.
Manish Garg said that there are about 57 thousand handicapped voters in the state and ramps, drinking water facilities, electricity, furniture, waiting rooms and toilets have been arranged to bring handicapped voters to the polling booths. First aid boxes have also been given to the polling parties.