Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 12: An estimated 67 per cent of the voters cast their votes for the 68-member Himachal Pradesh state Assembly in the single phase polling on Saturday sealing the fate of 412 candidates in the fray. There were a few voters still inside the polling stations when the voting ended at 5 P.M. and is likely to still remain lower than the 2017 elections when the turn out in the state was 74.6 per cent.
With the polling over in Himachal, all the political parties will now concentrate for the elections in Gujarat, the home state of the prime minister Narendra Modi, where the polling for the 182-member Assembly is scheduled to be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes for both the states will be taken up on December 8.
While both the BJP and the Congress claimed certain victory considering the “trend” of the voting pattern, the ruling BJP had faced greater problem of rebellion within the party rank and file over the selection of candidates. In the 2017 elections, the BJP had won 44 seats and the Congress 21 and the ruling party claimed that this time it would outshine its last time’s performance pitching Modi’s face along with chief minister Jairam Thakur’s work. It believed the people would vote for the continuity while the Congress is banking on the state’s pattern so far of changing the ruling party every five years.
The chief worry for the BJP was that it had to contain with 21 rebels. It’s a prestige issue for national chief JP Nadda, a Himachal veteran and a former minister.
The Congress promise of restoring the pre-2004 Old Pension Scheme became a major issue as the state has over 2 lakh government employees. The BJP has promised implementation of Uniform Civil Code and 8 lakh jobs in the state. On pension, it says that “if anyone would restore the old scheme, it will be the BJP.”
The Election Commission had set up 7,884 stations, including three in far-flung areas. The highest booth was in Tashigang in Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti district, at 15,256 feet, for 52 voters of whom 51 cast their votes on Saturday. The polling station in Tashigang was made a Model Polling station to make voting easy for senior citizens and disabled voters.
Dropping temperatures and advancing years failed to dampen the enthusiasm of centenarians with 105-year-old Naro Devi exercising her franchise in Churah in Chamba and 103-year-old Pyar Singh in Shimla. There are over 1.21 lakh people above 80 years of age in the hill State with as many as 1,136 centenarians. The Election Commission had made special arrangements for the elderly and persons with disabilities at polling stations across the State.
An 83-year-old woman, Dolma, cast her vote at Chasak Bhatori polling station in Pangi area of Chamba district after walking for a distance of 14KM on the snow-bound road. Falling under Bharmour Assembly segment, Chasak Bhatori polling station is the farthest polling station. A 90-year-old Narjam Mani and her 87-year-old husband Bheesham Dass cast their votes at polling station set up at Kalpa government primary school in Kinnaur.
Himachal was home to 106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi, India’s first voter, who died a few days ago after casting his postal ballot for this election. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had paid tributes to Negi at his residence in Kalpa in Kinnaur and had said the real tribute to him would be for all citizens to take part in voting and strengthen democracy in the country.
The Congress leader Anand Sharma on Saturday said that the people of Himachal Pradesh were in a mood to change the government in the state by ruling out the BJP in the state assembly election. Mr. Sharma said, “There’s a mood for change. Vast sections of society suffered especially Government employees, youth despondent because of unemployment, women and young people who’ll serve after Agnipath.”
On the other hand the BJP national president Nadda who was confident of his party retaining power said the incumbent Chief Minister would be continued in the state. “We definitely are in a comfortable majority. The election has been contested under the leadership of Jairam Thakur and he will continue (to be the CM face).”
He also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the latter did not participate in any campaign for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election and said that they (the Congress) are careerist leaders. ”They are careerist leaders, realised that they will gain nothing in H.P. and Gujarat. Once they feel they are winning or can win, they all will come here for credit. They know they won’t gain anything. So they won’t be seen,” Mr. Nadda said attacking the Congress party.
