Shimla civic polls see 59% voter turnout

Shimla: Intermittent rains failed to dampen the voters’ spirit as about 59 per cent polling was recorded in the 34-ward Shimla Municipal Corporation elections on Tuesday, officials said.

Workers of both the Congress and BJP started mobilizing their voters early in the morning to reach the booths but rain played a spoilsport and polling picked up as the day progressed and the weather improved, they said.

The polling was 58.97 per cent – male 59.29 per cent and female 58.60 per cent – and voters cast their votes till 4 pm. There was a marginal increase in polling in comparison to the last election in 2017 when 57.80 per cent of votes were cast.

The polling was peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from any part of the city, Deputy Commissioner Shimla Aditya Negi who is also the Returning officer said.

Polling in 34 wards began at 8 am and 29 per cent of voters cast their votes by 12 noon, 43.6 per cent by 2 pm and 58.66 per cent by 4 pm.

The fate of 102 contestants has been sealed and the results of the elections, which are being held on party symbols, will be declared on Thursday. The civic body’s five-year term ended in June 2022 but the elections were delayed by 11 months.

Voting is our democratic right and everyone should exercise their franchise by voting in the elections, said Savitri Devi (82), the Chief Minister’s school teacher who cast her vote at Chotta Shimla polling booth.

“Shimla should have more book cafes and avenues for sports and extracurricular activities to channelise the energy of adolescents and youths, this will also help in curbing drug menace,” said first-time voter Tanisha.

Leaders including former Union Minister Anand Sharma (Congress) and Former Urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj (BJP) also cast votes in their respective booths.

The state’s ruling Congress and the BJP are the main rivals in these elections.

The BJP accused the Congress of influencing the election process and lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission against changing the sequence of names in electronic voting machines in two wards. The Congress dismissed the charge as “ridiculous”.

Alleging irregularities in the election process, the BJP state president Rajiv Bindal said that the sequence of names of BJP candidates in EVMs has been changed in two wards – Chotta Shimla (ward number 28) and Kangnadhar (ward number 30) – creating confusion among voters.