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Himachal Pradesh assembly polls 2017: Voting ends, 74% voting till 5 pm; turnout likely to go up, says EC
Polling was conducted in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh for 68 assembly seats under the watchful eyes of the Election Commission on Thursday.
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74% voting recorded till now in Himachal Pradesh, the final turnout is likely to go up, says the Election Commission.
-Polling ends in Himachal Pradesh; BJP, Congress confident of victory.
Everyone must work in the nation's interest, says India's oldest voter Shyam Saran Negi.
-India's oldest voter Shyam Saran Negi cast his vote in Kinnaur.
-BJP CM pick Prem Kumar Dhumal has expressed confidence that his party will over 60 seats in the crucial polls.
64.8 % polling has been recorded till 4 pm in Himachal Pradesh, as per reports.
Senior Congress leader Vidya Stokes cast her vote at a polling booth in Shimla's Barubag
54.09% polling in Himachal Pradesh elections till 2:00 pm
30% voting recorded till 1:00 pm in Himachal Pradesh
By 12 pm, Kinnaur records highest ever voting percentage of 35%, says report
Groom, accompanied by 'baraat' or marriage procession, arrives at the polling booth in Manali to cast his vote.
Congress candidate from Shillai Assembly seat Harshvardhan Chauhan casts his vote.
Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections: 28.6% polling recorded till 12 noon
Polling delayed in Sirmaur district by 15-20 minutes because of faulty VVPAT machines.
Voting starts after delay at booth number 55 in Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh.
Women in the rural areas turned out in large numbers to cast their vote.
The voting began on a dull note, with below five percent polling in the first hour. By 10 am, it rose to 13 percent.
BJP leader Shanta Kumar casts his vote in Palampur.
Congress leader and former minister Anand Sharma casts his vote in Shimla
101-year-old Saraswati Sharma casts her vote at Bran polling station of Manali constituency.
Union Minister JP Nadda casts his vote at a polling booth in Bilaspur.
BJP national office secretary Mahendra Pandey, wife cast vote in Heerpur polling booth of Paonta Sahib
Voting percentage till 10am:
Una: 12%
Jwalamukhi: 20%
Lahaul-Spiti: 9%
Hamirpur: 15%
Naina Devi: 14%
Shimla: 18.7%
Mandi: 15.56%
Manali: 16%
Rampur: 18%
Chaupal: 15%
Kasumpti: 22%Nine voting machines not working across Doon constituency, say reports.
People are seen waiting in a queue outside polling booths whereas several others return without casting their votes due to the technical glitch in the EVM machines.
Himachal Pradesh elections: 13.72% polling recorded till 10 am
120-year-old voter Chuhri Devi casts her vote in Mandi's Nachan.
EVMs not working at Jagatsukh, Solang polling booths, as per reports
Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh cast their votes at a polling booth in Shimla.
Virbhadra says Congress party will be victorious with full majority.
BJP CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal casts his vote with his family in Samirpur.
India's first voter Shyamsaran Negi, 100, casts his vote in Kannaur Maanju
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expresses confident of getting the majority in Himachal Assembly elections.
"Confident of getting majority in the election. The next government too will be of Congress," he said.
Amit Shah appeals people to vote for BJP:
"I appeal to people of Himachal Pradesh to re-establish the honour and dignity of 'devbhumi' Himachal Pradesh and vote for the party that can make an all-round development of the state," he said.
EVM not working at Bilaspur's Telag booth, BJP leaders protest outside booth
BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur:
"Time has come, people have made up their mind to get rid of Congress who has looted Himachal Pradesh. The state needs a senior leader like Dhumal ji to look at the affairs of Himachal which is under the debt of more than Rs 50,000 crore."
We aimed to get 50 plus seats but now that we are receiving so much support from all sections of the society, we expect it to cross 60, says former Himachal CM and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal,
India's first voter, a 101-year-old man from Himachal Pradesh's Kalpi to use his voting rights again today.
He was 35-year-old when he exercised his voter right when independent India went for polls for the first time.
Piyush Goyal appeals people to vote for BJP.
"My appeal to Himachal Pradesh voters is to free Himachal from corruption in today's elections and choose an honest government, that is dedicated to good governance and development for the bright future of the state," Goyal tweeted.
Polling yet to start at Reckong Peo in Kinnaur due to a technical glitch
PM Narendra Modi urges people to come out and vote in record numbers.
Himachal Pradesh: Elderly woman Barfi Devi casts her vote at polling booth number 7 in Samirpur
Visual: Voters queue up to cast their votes at a polling booth in Dharamshala
Visuals from Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh assembly elections 2017: 11,500 Himachal police jawans, 6400 home guards, 65 companies of paramilitary forces deployed across the state.
Visuals from a polling booth in Shimla's Rampur
Also Read - Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017: Congress and BJP lock horns in the hill state
For the first time in the state, the Election Commission will use VVPAT machines in a bit to ensure there’s 'no compromise' on secrecy of the votes.
Congress led by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and BJP led with former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal are contesting on all 68 seats.
Congress: 68
BJP: 68
BSP: 42
CPM: 14
Swabhiman Party: 6
Lok Gathbandhan Party: 6
CPI: 3Visuals from a polling station in Mandi.
The 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly is set to expire in January 2018.
The fate of 337 candidates will be decided by as many as 50,25,941 voters, including 19 lakh women and 14 transgenders.
The voting for the polls will be held in one phase today whereas counting will be conducted on December 18.
Visuals from polling station number 7 in Dharamshala.
See pic:
Polling in Himachal Pradesh to begin at 8 am today.
SHIMLA: Polling was conducted in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh for 68 assembly seats under the watchful eyes of the Election Commission on Thursday. The two main political players - the ruling Congress and the main opposition party BJP- are locked in a do-or-die battle in all 68 constituencies across the state. According to the poll panel, the polling was by and large peaceful.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 10 ministers, eight Chief Parliamentary secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those who have thrown their hat in the ring.
Altogether 337 candidates including 62 MLAs are in the fray in the assembly elections this year whereas the voters will decide on their fate on December 18.
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