Preparations Underway As Himachal Goes To Polls Today, Voting To Begin at 8 AM

The preparations for polling for the Himachal Pradesh state elections have begun. Mock polling process for polling for the Himachal Pradesh state elections underway.

The preparations begin for polling for the Himachal Pradesh state elections.

Source : Twitter/ANI

The preparations for polling for the Himachal Pradesh state elections have begun. The elections will decide the fates of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, CLP Leader Mukesh Agnihotri, Chairman of Congress Campaign Committee Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and several other prominent leaders.

Mock polling process for polling for the Himachal Pradesh state elections underway.

#WATCH | Mock polling process for polling for the Himachal Pradesh state elections underway; visuals from a booth in Hamirpur pic.twitter.com/lfxjabwTGL

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2022

The state has seen power alternate between the BJP and Congress over the past several elections. The BJP is hopeful of returning with a strong mandate. The state government has declared a public holiday on polling day for employees of government offices, boards, corporations, educational institutions and industrial establishments in Himachal Pradesh.

The counting for votes for the hill state will take place on December 8. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is facing a tough fight as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also entered the fray besides Congress. The state is witnessing a multi-cornered fight between the political parties and key challengers on the issues of common man especially old pension sche and inflation in the hilly state.

A total of 55.92 lakh voters will decide the fate of 412 candidates, including 24 women, in the Assembly elections today. While the BJP is eying on retaining power in the state overturning the trend of an alternative government in the state since 1982, while Congress is trying to build its faith in its '10 guarantees' that the party has promised to deliver on if it comes to power. The Aam Aadmi Party is also aiming at making inroads into the hill state hoping to present a strong performance in the polls.

However, both BJP and Congress are also fighting the problem of rebels on some seats. On one side BJP which is eying to change the trend of alternate government has promised for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, eight lakh jobs in the state, 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and educational institutions.

While Congress has promised to fulfil the long pending demand of the hilly state of the Old Pension Scheme. The party has also promised to give 1 lakh government jobs. To woo women, who form 48 per cent of the electorate, Congress has promised Rs 1,500 per month to each of them aged between 18 and 60. It has also promised 300 units of free electricity.

Besides these three parties, parties like Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Rashtriya Devbhumi Party (RDP) are in the fray. The key constituencies include Seraj from where Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is contesting again. Congress has put up Chetram Thakur who had contested from the seat last time also. Mahinder Rana is the CPI-M candidate.

(With ANI Inputs)