Voting in Himachal on November 12, counting on December 8
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh will be conducted in single-phase on November 12. A total of 68 Assembly constituencies will go to polls in the state, where over 53 lakh voters will cast vote, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. The ECI declared that counting of votes will be held on December 8.
Why does this story matter?
Himachal Pradesh could see a close contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress as factionalism is rife in both parties. In the 2017 elections, the BJP won 44 out of 68 seats while the Congress won 21 seats. Apart from the two big national parties, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is also trying to cement its foothold in the Himalayan state.
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BJP might win despite losing vote share
Opinion polls showed that BJP could lose some seats but retain power nonetheless in Himachal Pradesh with the incumbent CM Jairam Thakur being the most preferred choice among people, as per the ABP News CVoter survey. The vote share of AAP is expected to increase at the expense of both the BJP and the Congress, but it could still struggle to win a seat.
Dedicated poll booths for women
Rajiv Kumar said the Model Code of Conduct will come into force immediately after the announcement of the election dates. Poll booths dedicated to and managed exclusively by women will be set up. All booths will be on the ground floor and have ramps for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) while some polling booths will be managed exclusively by them.
Model Code of Conduct comes into force
The postal ballot facility will be extended for voters aged over 80 years, under which ECI staff will visit the houses of the elderly. The process will be video recorded to eliminate any apprehensions of votes being influenced. With the announcement of poll dates, Model Code of Conduct comes into force in the state. The election schedule for Gujarat, however, remained unannounced.
