Shimla, May 28
The 2nd phase of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) elections in Himachal Pradesh witnessed an enthusiastic voter turnout on Thursday, with long queues seen outside polling booths across several districts despite prevailing heatwave conditions.
Polling began at 7 a.m. in 1,276 panchayats across the state and recorded brisk voting during the morning hours. According to official figures available till 1 p.m., voter turnout stood at 63.24 per cent in Mandi district and 65.86 per cent in Kullu district, reflecting strong public participation in the grassroots democratic exercise.
Most voters preferred to cast their votes during the cooler morning hours as temperatures continued to soar in many parts of the state.
Polling booths across rural areas reported heavy footfall, with youth, women and elderly voters turning out in large numbers.
In a remarkable display of democratic participation, 116-year-old Khadaku Ram, a resident of Dashmal Panchayat in Sujanpur area of Hamirpur district, also exercised his franchise at the local polling station. His participation drew attention and inspired many younger voters.
The voting process would continue till 3 p.m. Following the conclusion of polling, counting of votes for the posts of Pradhan, Up-Pradhan and Ward Members will be conducted at the respective panchayat headquarters, while counting for Block Development Committee (BDC) and Zila Parishad seats will take place at designated strong rooms.
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In this phase of the elections, around 17.30 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 7,334 polling stations across the state. The electorate includes 8,74,716 male voters and 8,55,597 female voters.
Officials said elaborate security and administrative arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of the elections across the hill state.
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