Himachal Pradesh witnessed a record voter turnout at 75.6% in the assembly elections last week, surpassing the previous record of 75.57% registered in 2017. The final figure is expected to be higher.
From Shimla to the icy heights of Spiti, people across Himachal Pradesh had voted on Saturday to elect a new state government. According to data available with state poll authorities on Sunday, 76.8 per cent of the total female electorate and 72.4 per cent male electorate exercised their franchise. The third gender poll percentage was 68.4 per cent.
Notably, the BJP ran a campaign focused on the female voters due to their impressive turnout history in the hill state. Citing reports received at state headquarters, the approximate poll percentage in the state stands at 75.6 per cent, state chief electoral officer Maneesh Garg said in a statement.
He said the poll percentage recorded through electronic voting machines was 74.6 per cent.
"Besides this, one per cent of postal ballots had been received already, taking the overall turnout to 75.6 per cent till now and nearly two per cent postal ballots are yet to be received," the statement said.
The highest polling percentage of 85.25 per cent was reported from the Doon assembly constituency and the lowest percentage of 62.53 per cent was in Shimla assembly seat at the end of the poll. In this assembly polls, the state election department had laid a lot of focus on 11 constituencies with low voter turnout in 2017 polls, the statement noted.
BJP eyes history, Congress comeback
The elections are a crucial test for the BJP which is hoping to buck the 40-year trend of the state voting out the ruling party. The BJP, which has already retained all the four states that went to polls earlier this year, a victory in Himachal would only consolidate its position as a dominant political force.
For Congress, wresting Himachal Pradesh from the BJP is a matter of survival. The Congress has lost in nine states over two years including West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Puducherry in 2021 and Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur this year. Currently, it is in power on its own in just Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
