H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

High voter turnout upsets calculations
Shimla, February 27
The highest-ever voter turnout of 74.4 per cent in the electoral history of the hill state has upset the calculations of candidates and political parties. Pollsters have on the basis of opinion polls and surveys, been expecting a close finish and predicting a hung assembly.

ITBP personnel guard electronic voting machines outside the ADM office in Shimla on Thursday. — PTI

Large women turnout surprises parties
Una, February 27
A large turnout of women voters for the first time in the Vidhan Sabha elections yesterday in Una district has surprised many, including the political parties. Of the total number of 3,20,839 voters, 2,33,324 cast their votes in the five Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the district.

Show-cause notice to 13 Cong leaders
Hamirpur, February 27
The Hamirpur district unit of the Congress today issued show-cause notices to 13 of its leaders and activists for working against the official party nominees during the Assembly elections.

One day after the polling, bunting of the Congress found dumped in the drains in the Anoo area of Hamirpur district on Thursday. — Photo Chander Shekhar Sharma

Chadole records highest polling
Bilaspur, February 27
Nearly 76.83 per cent voting has been recorded in Bilaspur district, while in the Kotkehloor constituency polling of 79.77 per cent was recorded and the Chadole polling station recorded 90.20 per cent voting, which is highest in the district.

95 pc polling in Bumana
Hamirpur, February 27
Nearly 73.71 per cent of the voters yesterday exercised their franchise in Hamirpur district.

Repoll in Anoh booth today
Nurpur, February 27
The Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, has ordered repoll on February 28 in Anoh polling booth of the Nurpur Assembly constituency following a complaint by the Congress of the polling of bogus votes in connivance with presiding and Polling Officer deputed at the booth.

High voter turnout upsets calculations
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 27
The highest-ever voter turnout of 74.4 per cent in the electoral history of the hill state has upset the calculations of candidates and political parties.

Pollsters have on the basis of opinion polls and surveys, been expecting a close finish and predicting a hung assembly. They have been taken aback by the massive polling. The vigorous campaigning and the presence of the large number of rebels and Independents may be responsible to an extent for the heavy voting, but it is certainly indicative of a clear mandate in favour of one of the two main contenders for power.

Experience shows that a large turnout has always led to a change of government. The previous highest polling of 71.71 was recorded in the 1993 assembly poll when the Congress swept the BJP out of power by securing 52 seats. The BJP had to contend with just eight seats.

In the 1998 assembly poll a turnout of 71.23 per cent ensured the ouster of the Congress regime. Its tally came down from 52 to 31 paving the way for a BJP-HVC coalition in the state. Earlier, in 1985, the sympathy wave in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination led to a heavy turnout of 70.6 per cent which saw the Congress tally shoot up from 31 to 58. The BJP could win only seven seats.

The 1990 assembly elections were held soon after the ouster of the Congress government at the Centre and the victory of the BJP was a foregone conclusion. As such, the turnout was 67.74 per cent was on the lower side. The BJP won 46 seats while its alliance partner got 11. The Congress could manage to win only nine seats. This time Nalagarh recorded the highest polling of 85.88 per cent, followed by Paonta-Doon (82.32 per cent), Chachiot (82 per cent), Doon and Nachan (80.44 per cent each) and Shahpur (80.37 per cent).

The lowest turnout of 46.08 per cent was recorded in Shimla, followed by Kusumpati (55.90 per cent) and Banikhet (68 per cent).

Sirmour district, which has five seats, registered the highest polling of 79 per cent. It was followed by Bilaspur district (77.02 per cent) and Mandi (76.33 per cent). Shimla district had the lowest turnout of 68.04 per cent.

The sealed EVMs have been kept under tight security at 41 centres where the counting of votes will take place on March 1. The results for all 65 seats for which polling has been held are likely to be declared by noon.

Large women turnout surprises parties
Our Correspondent

Una, February 27
A large turnout of women voters for the first time in the Vidhan Sabha elections yesterday in Una district has surprised many, including the political parties. Of the total number of 3,20,839 voters, 2,33,324 cast their votes in the five Vidhan Sabha constituencies in the district. About 1,11,214 men and 1,12,210 women cast their votes in the district.

Mr Rakesh Kaushal, District Returning Officer in the Gagret constituency, of the 55,186 voters, 41,048 cast their votes, which comes to 74.4 per cent. He said 19,276 men (47 per cent) and 21,772 women (53.4 per cent cast their votes. In this constituency women voters outnumbered men voters by 6.4 per cent. In the Chintpurni constituency, of the total 58,900 voters, 43,842 (74.4 per cent) cast their votes. Of this 21,068 (48.5 per cent were men while 22,774 (51.9 per cent) were women voters.

In the Santoshgarh constituency of the 70,119 voters, 49,375 (70.4 per cent) cast their votes, which comprised 23,409 men (47.4 per cent) and 25,966 women (52.6 per cent). In the Una constituency of the 77,646 voters, 56,567 (72.9 per cent) cast their votes.

Show-cause notice to 13 Cong leaders
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, February 27
The Hamirpur district unit of the Congress today issued show-cause notices to 13 of its leaders and activists for working against the official party nominees during the Assembly elections.

Mr Balak Ram Sharma, DCC chief, said here today that these persons had been asked to explain their conduct within 15 days, failing which they would be expelled from the party.

Prominent among those issued show-cause notices are Mr Prem Kaushal, president of the Mewa Mandal Congress, Mrs Simro Kaushal from Mewa, Mr Niranjan Jain, Mrs Seema Chaudhary,

Mr Vijay Thakur and Mr Ram Dass Kaundel from Nadaun and Mrs Arvinder Kaur Dogra, Mr Subhash Dhatwalia, Mr Nikka Ram Sharma, Capt Chaukas Ram, Mr Battan Singh, Mr Naresh Katna and Mr Prem Singh Dhatwalia, all from Nadaunta.

Chadole records highest polling
Our Correspondent

Bilaspur, February 27
Nearly 76.83 per cent voting has been recorded in Bilaspur district, while in the Kotkehloor constituency polling of 79.77 per cent was recorded and the Chadole polling station recorded 90.20 per cent voting, which is highest in the district. Reports said today 47,193 of the 59,159 voters turned out for voting in the Kotkehloor constituency. The Bag Khurd polling station had lowest turnout of 64.04 per cent in this segment.

In the Bilaspur Sadar constituency, 44,496 of the 57,598 voters turned out 77.25 per cent with Banela-Brahamana having highest polling of 86.64 per cent and Upparli-Bhated having lowest polling of 50 per cent. In the Gehadvin ( reserved) constituency, 77.76 per cent voters cast votes with total voter turnout was 44,766 out of the 57,565 voters.

95 pc polling in Bumana
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, February 27
Nearly 73.71 per cent of the voters yesterday exercised their franchise in Hamirpur district.

The maximum polling was recorded in the Bamsan Assembly Segment being represented by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, followed by Mewa, Nadaun, Nadaunta and Hamirpur.

According to official sources, as many as 1,24,458 women and 1,00,321 men cast their votes. The Bumana station in the Bamsan segment recorded 95 per cent, the highest one in the district, the sources added.

Repoll in Anoh booth today
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, February 27
The Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, has ordered repoll on February 28 in Anoh polling booth of the Nurpur Assembly constituency following a complaint by the Congress of the polling of bogus votes in connivance with presiding and Polling Officer deputed at the booth.

According to Mr B.S. Atri, Assistant Electoral Officer (AEO), Nurpur, at about 1 p.m. polling was held up in the booth following tension which started with the allegation of bogus voting which could not be restarted.