Himachal Pradesh assembly polls 2017: Voting ends, 74% voting till 5 pm; turnout likely to go up, says EC

ANI photo

SHIMLA: Polling was conducted in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh for 68 assembly seats under the watchful eyes of the Election Commission on Thursday. The two main political players - the ruling Congress and the main opposition party BJP- are locked in a do-or-die battle in all 68 constituencies across the state. According to the poll panel, the polling was by and large peaceful.  

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 10 ministers, eight Chief Parliamentary secretaries, Deputy Speaker Jagat Singh Negi, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and over a dozen former ministers are among those who have thrown their hat in the ring.

Altogether 337 candidates including 62 MLAs are in the fray in the assembly elections this year whereas the voters will decide on their fate on December 18.

Here are the live updates: -

09 November 2017

19:30 IST

74% voting recorded till now in Himachal Pradesh, the final turnout is likely to go up, says the Election Commission.

74% voting recorded till now in #HimachalPradesh, likely to go up: Election Commission of India pic.twitter.com/SxUCu0R245

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

18:06 IST

-Polling ends in Himachal Pradesh; BJP, Congress confident of victory.

Polling time in #HimachalPradeshElections ends; visuals from a polling station in Mandi. pic.twitter.com/QZaSJiy3Bn

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

17:08 IST

Everyone must work in the nation's interest, says India's oldest voter Shyam Saran Negi.

17:07 IST

-India's oldest voter Shyam Saran Negi cast his vote in Kinnaur. 

India's oldest voter Shyam Saran Negi cast his vote in Kinnaur, says everyone must work in the nation's interest. #HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/l8FDL98cMg

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

17:04 IST

-BJP CM pick Prem Kumar Dhumal has expressed confidence that his party will over 60 seats in the crucial polls.

17:01 IST

64.8 % polling has been recorded till 4 pm in Himachal Pradesh, as per reports.

14:54 IST

Senior Congress leader Vidya Stokes cast her vote at a polling booth in Shimla's Barubag

Senior Congress leader Vidya Stokes cast her vote a polling booth in Shimla's Barubag #HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/Qj4doKbMOr

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

14:54 IST

54.09% polling in Himachal Pradesh elections till 2:00 pm

13:57 IST

30% voting recorded till 1:00 pm in Himachal Pradesh

13:43 IST

By 12 pm, Kinnaur records highest ever voting percentage of 35%, says report

12:37 IST

Groom, accompanied by 'baraat' or marriage procession, arrives at the polling booth in Manali to cast his vote.

Right before his wedding, a bridegroom casts his vote at a polling booth in Manali's Baashing village #HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/a2zYx0jQCk

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

12:32 IST

Congress candidate from Shillai Assembly seat Harshvardhan Chauhan casts his vote.

12:31 IST

Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections: 28.6% polling recorded till 12 noon

12:08 IST

Polling delayed in Sirmaur district by 15-20 minutes because of faulty VVPAT machines.

12:03 IST

Voting starts after delay at booth number 55 in Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh.

12:03 IST

Women in the rural areas turned out in large numbers to cast their vote.

The voting began on a dull note, with below five percent polling in the first hour. By 10 am, it rose to 13 percent.

12:02 IST

BJP leader Shanta Kumar casts his vote in Palampur.

11:45 IST

Congress leader and former minister Anand Sharma casts his vote in Shimla

11:45 IST

101-year-old Saraswati Sharma casts her vote at Bran polling station of Manali constituency.

11:36 IST

Union Minister JP Nadda casts his vote at a polling booth in Bilaspur.

#HimachalElections2017 Union Minister JP Nadda casts his vote at a polling booth in Bilaspur pic.twitter.com/wt7a9jrJr0

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

11:19 IST

BJP national office secretary Mahendra Pandey, wife cast vote in Heerpur polling booth of Paonta Sahib

11:17 IST

Voting percentage till 10am: 

Una: 12%
Jwalamukhi: 20%
Lahaul-Spiti: 9%
Hamirpur: 15%
Naina Devi: 14%
Shimla: 18.7%
Mandi: 15.56%
Manali: 16%
Rampur: 18%
Chaupal: 15%
Kasumpti: 22%

10:57 IST

Nine voting machines not working across Doon constituency, say reports. 

People are seen waiting in a queue outside polling booths whereas several others return without casting their votes due to the technical glitch in the EVM machines.

10:57 IST

Himachal Pradesh elections: 13.72% polling recorded till 10 am 

10:20 IST

120-year-old voter Chuhri Devi casts her vote in Mandi's Nachan.

10:09 IST

EVMs not working at Jagatsukh, Solang polling booths, as per reports

10:02 IST

Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh cast their votes at a polling booth in Shimla. 

Virbhadra says Congress party will be victorious with full majority.

09:57 IST

BJP CM candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal casts his vote with his family in Samirpur.

Hamirpur: BJP's chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal and BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur cast their votes. #HimachalPradeshElections pic.twitter.com/pNxe6IzYu0

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

09:57 IST

India's first voter Shyamsaran Negi, 100, casts his vote in Kannaur Maanju

09:43 IST

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expresses confident of getting the majority in Himachal Assembly elections. 

"Confident of getting majority in the election. The next government too will be of Congress," he said.

09:30 IST

Amit Shah appeals people to vote for BJP: 

"I appeal to people of Himachal Pradesh to re-establish the honour and dignity of 'devbhumi' Himachal Pradesh and vote for the party that can make an all-round development of the state," he said. 

___ _____ _____________ __ ____ ____ ___ __ _______ ______ __ ___ __ _________ __ ____ _______ __ ______ __ ________ _____ ____ ____ _____ _____ __ ___ _____ _____ _____ pic.twitter.com/bJURArTfkF

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 9, 2017

09:22 IST

EVM not working at Bilaspur's Telag booth, BJP leaders protest outside booth

09:21 IST

BJP MP from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur: 

"Time has come, people have made up their mind to get rid of Congress who has looted Himachal Pradesh. The state needs a senior leader like Dhumal ji to look at the affairs of Himachal which is under the debt of more than Rs 50,000 crore."

09:21 IST

We aimed to get 50 plus seats but now that we are receiving so much support from all sections of the society, we expect it to cross 60, says former Himachal CM and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal, 

09:04 IST

India's first voter, a 101-year-old man from Himachal Pradesh's Kalpi to use his voting rights again today. 

He was 35-year-old when he exercised his voter right when independent India went for polls for the first time. 

Shyamsaran Negi
India's first voter, a 101-year-old man from Himachal Pradesh's Kalpi district .... Ready to use his voting rights again today
A very proud moment for Indian Democracy#DevbhoomiWithCongress pic.twitter.com/QD05zmeAFx

— Ramandeep Singh (@RamanDSingh_) November 9, 2017

09:04 IST

Piyush Goyal appeals people to vote for BJP.

"My appeal to Himachal Pradesh voters is to free Himachal from corruption in today's elections and choose an honest government, that is dedicated to good governance and development for the bright future of the state," Goyal tweeted. 

08:41 IST

Polling yet to start at Reckong Peo in Kinnaur due to a technical glitch

#HimachalElections2017 Voting at polling station number 55 in Kinnaur, Reckong Peo has not yet started due to a technical glitch; the polling booth is all women-managed pic.twitter.com/9vLNQSXbzS

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

08:37 IST

PM Narendra Modi urges people to come out and vote in record numbers. 

08:10 IST

Himachal Pradesh: Elderly woman Barfi Devi casts her vote at polling booth number 7 in Samirpur 

Elderly woman, Barfi Devi, casts her vote at polling booth number 7 in Samirpur #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/2TILgQi2Pk

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

08:08 IST

Visual: Voters queue up to cast their votes at a polling booth in Dharamshala

#HimachalElections2017 Voters queue up to cast their votes at a polling booth in Dharamshala. pic.twitter.com/Z8nfe5g6ID

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

07:58 IST

Visuals from Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh

Voting for all the 68 constituencies to begin shortly: Visuals from #Bilaspur in #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/jDeLjfdPgs

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

07:44 IST

Himachal Pradesh assembly elections 2017: 11,500 Himachal police jawans, 6400 home guards, 65 companies of paramilitary forces deployed across the state. 

Visuals from a polling booth in Shimla's Rampur

11,500 #HimachalPradesh police jawans, 6400 Home guards, 65 companies of paramilitary forces deployed across the state for the assembly election: Voting set to begin at 8 AM, visuals from a polling booth in Shimla's Rampur pic.twitter.com/ncRBcsR9Yg

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

07:33 IST

#TopStory #HimachalPradesh Assembly election to take place today, polling for all the 68 constituencies will begin at 8:00 am and go on till 5:00 pm pic.twitter.com/0uTyYU86vc

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

07:32 IST

07:27 IST

For the first time in the state, the Election Commission will use VVPAT machines in a bit to ensure there’s 'no compromise' on secrecy of the votes.

07:25 IST

Congress led by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and BJP led with former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal are contesting on all 68 seats. 

Congress: 68
BJP: 68 
BSP: 42
CPM: 14
Swabhiman Party: 6
Lok Gathbandhan Party: 6
CPI: 3

07:25 IST

Visuals from a polling station in Mandi. 

#Visuals from a polling station in Mandi, voting to begin at 8 AM in all the 68 constituencies #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/Z8fL2OpcxG

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

07:25 IST

The 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly is set to expire in January 2018.

The fate of 337 candidates will be decided by as many as 50,25,941 voters, including 19 lakh women and 14 transgenders. 

07:24 IST

The voting for the polls will be held in one phase today whereas counting will be conducted on December 18. 

07:24 IST

Visuals from polling station number 7 in Dharamshala. 

See pic: 

Polling in #HimachalPradesh to begin at 8 AM, visuals from polling station number 7 in #Dharamshala pic.twitter.com/6tYRDSv52F

— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2017

07:24 IST

Polling in Himachal Pradesh to begin at 8 am today.