Shimla, April 12
The electoral stage is set for a fierce battle in the Shimla Lok Sabha constituency, a seat that has been a stronghold of both the Congress and the BJP in the past. This time, the spotlight is on two prominent candidates: Congress MLA Vinod Sultanpuri and former BJP MP Suresh Kashyap, who is aiming for a third term.
The Shimla Lok Sabha seat was once firmly held by the Congress party, with the late Krishnadutt Sultanpuri serving as the MP for an impressive six terms from 1980 to 1998. However, since 2009, the BJP has made its mark on this constituency. Notable figures like Himachal Vikas Congress and Congress candidate Dr. Dhani Ram Shandil have also left their mark in the elections of 1999 and 2005.
Virender Kashyap, a BJP member, clinched the Shimla LS seat in 2009 and repeated his victory in the 2014 general elections.
Vinod Sultanpuri, son of the late KD Sultanpuri and recently elected MLA in the 2022 assembly elections, has been chosen by the Congress to reclaim their erstwhile bastion after a gap of 15 years.
The Congress party, after conducting an internal survey, has shortlisted Vinod Sultanpuri as its primary candidate for the Shimla seat. However, they also considered three other candidates: Sohan Lal, a former two-time MLA from Kasumpti (Shimla); Dayal Payri, a fresh face and BJP rebel from Pachad (Sirmour); and Amit Nanda from Jubbal-Kotkhai. The final announcement regarding Sultanpuri’s candidacy is eexpected soon now.
Suresh Kashyap, the BJP stalwart, is a retired Air Force officer and has represented the Pachad reserved seat in the state assembly, winning in both the 2012 and 2017 elections. He clinched the 2019 LS election with a substantial margin of 3,27,515 votes against his closest rival, Col Dhani Ram Shandil of the Congress. Additionally, he was appointed as the state party president after the resignation of BJP leader Rajiv Bindal during a corruption scandal amidst the Covid pandemic.
The Shimla Parliamentary constituency comprises 17 assembly constituencies, including seven in Shimla, five in Solan, and five in Sirmour district. To ensure a smooth election process, District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner Shimla, Anupam Kashyap, stated that a total of 4232 polling personnel would be deployed, including 1058 Presiding Officers, 1058 Assistant Presiding Officers, and 2116 Polling Officers. An additional 20 percent of personnel will be kept in reserve.
The official notification for the Lok Sabha elections is set to be issued for all four LS seats on May 7, 2024. Following this, the deadline for filing nominations is May 14, 2024, with scrutiny of nominations on May 15, 2024, and the final date for withdrawal on May 17, 2024. The voting day is scheduled for June 1, 2024, with the counting of votes to take place on June 4, 2024.
As of March 15, 2024, there are a total of 5,90,940 registered voters in the Shimla district, comprising 3,01,279 males and 2,89,659 females. Eligible youth who turned 18 on or before April 1, 2024, will be able to register for the elections until May 4, 2024.
Anupam Kashyap further detailed that there are 1058 polling stations in the district, each with designated Booth Level Officers. Of these, 16 will be operated by women, 8 by youth, and 8 by disabled voters, with 28 model polling stations identified.
To ensure fair elections, various teams have been appointed, including 3 flying squads, 3 static surveillance teams, 2 Video Surveillance Teams (VST), 1 Video Viewing Team (VVT), and 1 accounting team for each assembly constituency in the Shimla district.
Under Mission-22 to 72, focused efforts are being made to improve voter turnout in constituencies like 60-Chaupal, 61-Theog, 62-Kasumpati, 63-Shimla, 64-Shimla Rural, and 66-Rampur (Scheduled Caste).
For the election process, there are 1731 ballot units, 1432 control units, and 1677 Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. These machines have been kept secure in assembly constituency-wise strong rooms after the first randomization.
Counting of votes is scheduled to commence at 8 am on June 4, 2024. The postal ballots and ETPBS (Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System) for the 4-Shimla (Scheduled Caste) Lok Sabha constituency will be counted in the auditorium of Government Senior Secondary School, Portmore. The votes for the 63-Shimla Assembly constituency will also be counted at the same location. The remaining 7 assembly constituencies’ votes will be counted in their respective constituencies.
In a bid to facilitate voting for senior citizens above 90 years, the Election Commission will ensure polling at their doorstep. Additionally, Form 12D will be issued for voters above 85 years of age and for Persons with Disabilities (PWD). The district has a total of 13,347 voters above 85 years of age and 10,823 PWD voters, according to Anupam Kashyap, the District Election Officer.
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