291 polling stations ‘vulnerable’, 158 ‘critical’ in Kangra district

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, November 11

A day before the voting, all candidates were today busy in booth management. The candidates and parties were seen galvanising the booth-level workers. There are over 1,627 polling booths in Kangra district. As many as 291 booths have been declared vulnerable and 158 critical by the administration. The Election Commission has appointed micro-observers at vulnerable and sensitive polling booths.

The ruling BJP is managing its polling booths at a central level with the party organisation getting involved in it. The BJP takes pride in its Himachal model of booth management. It has appointed Panna Pramukhs at the booth level. The Panna Pramukh model of polling booth level management was coined by organising secretary of BJP in Himachal Pawan Rana. BJP national president JP Nadda had praised the model in his speeches and said it would be copied and implemented in other states too. The BJP has entrusted its Panna Pramukhs the task of approaching voters door to door a day before voting as a last-ditch effort to lure voters.

Sources here said the Panna Pramukhs had been asked to bring the voters to the booth and ensure that they vote. The Panna Pramukh model of BJP had, however, failed to deliver results in four byelections held in the state last year.

In Congress, the management of polling booths has fallen on the contesting candidates. The Congress candidates are themselves arranging resourcing for the booth-level management. The workers of candidates have been given the task of delivering the slips having information about the booths to the voters at their door steps. The Congress leaders were seen making last-ditch efforts to influence the voters by calling up opinion leaders like pradhans and community leaders.

The AAP, which has also fielded candidates in all constituencies, might not be as active at the booth levels because of limited resources to set up their camps.

In a few constituencies such as Dehra, Indora, Dharamsala, Kangra, Fatehpur and Sullah where the Congress and BJP rebels are contesting polls, Independent candidates might make their presence felt at the polling booth level.

Staff reach Pong Island on boat

• Six members of a polling team, led by presiding officer Milkhi Ram, arrived at the Sath Kuthera in Pong Island of the Fatehpur segment of Kangra district in a boat on Thursday evening
• A polling booth has been set up at Maue da Peer, a village serai. The lodging and food arrangements for the staff have been made in the serai. A generator has been provided. OC