Himachal Pradesh : Boycott of voting in these areas

In Himachal Pradesh, despite the efforts of the Election Department, thousands of voters in 14 places, expressing their displeasure with the state government, did not participate in the voting for the by-elections on various demands. Somewhere people boycotted the voting due to government apathy on the issue of electricity project, ration shop, mobile network and road connectivity. In the areas where voting was boycotted, the Election Department teams made a special request to the people, but the people remained adamant on their insistence.

In the areas where polling did not take place, not a single voter voted in Kinnaur’s Rarang, Shailapur, Khadra, Jaungi and Akpa, besides Ahlimi, Aklamala, Thokla, Bilmui, Kalah, Sharan, Kheri and Runpu of Bharmour assembly constituency. . Chief Electoral Officer C Palrasu said that polling personnel were sent to all the places to convince the people. The officials explained the boycott in Ghudeth of Bharmour, after which 166 people exercised their franchise.

At the same time, for the by-election to the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti voted in cold weather. In many polling stations in the district, including the world’s highest Tshigang, the temperature was recorded at minus 6 degrees during the morning voting. Here the oldest voter Sonam Dolma (76) cast her first vote. After this, all 47 voters of the center exercised their franchise. Of these, 29 men and 18 women have voted. People walked in the snow to cast their votes in the polling stations. In Tshigang, the employees on duty along with the voters also took part in the great festival of democracy in traditional costumes. The SDM, who came to inspect, himself arrived wearing traditional clothes.