As the voting is underway in the 68 assembly seat, Himachal Pradesh today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed the electors in the hill state to participate in the grand festival of democracy and cast votes in record numbers.
The voting in the 68 constituencies across Himachal Pradesh, where 338 candidates, including 62 MLAs are contesting the polls, began at 8 in the morning. Both BJP and Congress are confident of the victory. Despite the fact that the people in the hill state have always voted for a change of government after every five years, Congress is hoping for a second consecutive term this time.
BJP had the upper hand if compared to the Congress on the basis of campaigning in the past 12 days. While several senior BJP leaders, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being the star campaigner for BJP held many rallies, it was only Congress CM candidate and the incumbent Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh for Congress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his rallies in the past 12 days had also appealed to the electors to come forward and vote in massive number. He has also said that he is not just asking the people to vote for BJP but he is appealing to the people that they help the party win the polls with a three-fourth majority.
Even today, as the voting is underway, Modi tweeted that “Today polling is taking place in ‘Devbhoomi’ Himachal Pradesh. I urge all voters to take part in the mahaparva of democracy and vote in record numbers.”
आज देवभूमि हिमाचल प्रदेश में मतदान का दिन है। मेरी विनती है कि सभी मतदाता लोकतंत्र के महापर्व में भाग लें और भारी संख्या में मतदान करें। Urging people of Himachal Pradesh to vote in recrod numbers.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 9, 2017
A total of 50,25,941 voters are eligible to cast their vote and 7,525 polling booths have been set up in the state and 37,605 polling personnel have been deputed for poll duty. To keep a check on the security and fair and peaceful voting 17,850 personnel of police and Home Guards and 65 companies of central paramilitary force have been deployed.
The results will be declared on 18 Dec, along with the results of the Gujarat assembly elections to be held in two phases on 9 Dec and 14 Dec.