Shimla, November 3
Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for conducting free, fair and smooth elections to the 68-member Himachal legislative Assembly in which 46.08 lakh voters will cast their ballot tomorrow.

The Election Commission has set up 7,253 polling stations to enable people to cast their vote. As many as 1,317 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 763 categorised hypersensitive. The maximum number of hypersensitive booths (197) are in Kangra, the largest district in the state.

Poll officials make arrangements for the big day. Tribune photo

The polls will decide the electoral fortunes of 459 candidates, including those of Chief Minister PK Dhumal, state Congress president and former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Vidya Stokes, state BJP chief Satpal Satti and a host of other senior leaders. This also includes 10 ministers and 63 sitting MLAs.

Adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful voting that will take place from 8 am to 5 pm. Around 9,000 personnel from paramilitary forces and 14,000 from the state police have been deployed for poll duty. About 35,000 polling staff and home guards and 9,192 electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be used.

As many as 39 strong rooms have been set up to keep the EVMs safe after voting. These will be guarded by 13 companies of paramilitary forces till the day of counting on December 20.

“Helicopters have been pressed into service for airlifting EVMs, polling personnel and polling materials before and after the poll in the far-flung and snow-bound tribal areas,” said Chief Secretary S Roy.

Counting on Dec 20

Elaborate security arrangements in place

Counting of votes to be held on December 20

Only 27 women candidates in the fray