Shimla Urban seat logged lowest poll percentage in HP

Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla Urban Assembly seat saw the lowest voter turnout in the state in the November 12 elections, at 62.53 per cent, while the world’s highest polling booth, Tashigang, located at an altitude of 15,265 ft, recorded 100 per cent voting despite the extreme cold, the election office said on Tuesday.
Chasak Bhatori in the Bharmaur assembly in Chamba recorded a turnout of 75.26 per cent despite a walking distance of 14 km to the booth.
The hill state went to polls in a single phase for the 68-member assembly on November 12, and there was a 75.6 per cent voter turnout, breaking the 2017 record of 75.57 per cent.
Though 75.6 per cent voter turnout is the highest till now for the state, higher participation from urban areas could have helped achieve a higher record-breaking turnout.
Shimla is not only lowest in the state (62.53 per cent) but has actually declined by 1.4 per cent compared to the last election in 2017.
As per the election office, urban Shimla’s important localities like government colonies clocked one of the lowest voter turnouts in the range of 50 per cent. Also, the average turnout in important urban areas is approximately eight per cent lower than turnout in rural constituencies.
Interestingly, the women voter turnout in this election was roughly 4.5 per cent higher than the male voter turnout and even approximately two per cent higher than the total voter turnout.
While 76.8 per cent female out of the total 55,92,828 voters exercised their franchise, while the poll percentage of the men stood out 72.4.
Of the 412 candidates in the fray, 24 are women and 388 men. Of the electorate, 193,106 are first-time voters in the age of 18-19 years. There are 121,409 voters above 80 years, while there are 56,501 voters with disabilities.
The main contest is between the BJP and Congress.
In the 2017 Assembly poll, the BJP had won 44 seats, the Congress 21, the CPI-M one and Independents two.
The counting of votes will be held on December 8.
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.