New Delhi: As polling for the Himachal Pradesh election is underway, BJP President JP Nadda on Saturday said that the ruling party is looking at a comfortable majority with Jairam Thakur continuing to be the choice as Chief Minister.


"We definitely are in comfortable majority. The election has been contested under the leadership of Jairam Thakur and he will continue (to be the CM face)," JP Nadda told news agency ANI.


When asked about Rahul Gandhi not campaigning for the polls, he remarked: "They are careerist leaders, realised that they will gain nothing in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Once they feel they are winning or can win, they will all come here for credit. They know they won't gain anything. So they won't be seen."


Himachal Pradesh has far been witness to the ruling government not being able to secure two consecutive terms. On this, the senior BJP leader said, "It will definitely change. People have made up their minds to change the tradition because the development in the last 5 years can be seen on the ground. So, there's an atmosphere of joy and people want the Government repeated."


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JP Nadda and his wife Mallika Nadda cast their votes at a polling station in Vijaypur at Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur.


"With the kind of atmosphere I'm seeing since morning, I think people have zeal and that zeal is over something right. I request people to cast vote in large numbers," he said after voting, as quoted by ANI.


Voting Across 68 Constituencies


Voting for the crucial Himachal Pradesh elections began on Saturday at 8 am on a slow note after officials conducted a mock poll at all booths to check EVMs. The state witnessed a 37.19 per cent voter turnout till 1 PM, as per the approximate trends shared by the Election Commission of India (ECI).


More than 55 lakh voters in the hill state will decide the fate of 412 candidates in 68 assembly constituencies. 24 women candidates are in the fray this time.


Of the total voters, 28,54,945 are male, and 27,37,845 female voters in the state. There are 38 third gender voters. 


Himachal Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Maneesh Garg said all arrangements are in place for the polling.


"All 7,884 polling parties have reached the polling stations and set up the polling booths. They are accompanied by security forces. Nearly 50,000 polling staff and around 25,000 security staff have been deployed," he told news agency PTI.


The voting is scheduled from 8 am to 5 pm and the Election Commission has 7,884 polling stations, including three auxiliary voting stations in far-flung areas. Of these, 789 are vulnerable booths, and 397 are critical ones.


The 2017 assembly election saw a record 75.57 per cent polling.


 It is a crucial test for the BJP hoping to beat precedent and return to power as well as for the Congress looking for electoral revival.


(With Agency Inputs)