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HP assembly polls: Ahead of counting, Cong , BJP wait for result with baited breath
Both the BJP and Congress are fancying their chances of forming the government in the hill state with Congress’ state party chief Pratibha Singh and chief minister Jai Ram Thakur exuding confidence in their respective parties victories.
With most exit polls predicting a close contest all eyes are on Himachal Pradesh, where the assembly election results will reveal on Thursday whether the state bucks the anti-incumbency trend or re-elects the ruling party – something that has not happened after 1985.
Both the BJP and Congress are fancying their chances of forming the government in the hill state with Congress’ state party chief Pratibha Singh and chief minister Jai Ram Thakur exuding confidence in their respective parties victories.
Confident that the Congress had been voted back to power, Pratibha said, “The Congress is expecting to bag around 40 seats. They might go up to 45. I am not exaggerating. It is possible that we may get fewer seats than expected, but we are sure to form the government,” she said.
“Our party is confident about the results as most voters remember Congress has always worked for the development of the state under Virbhadra Singh. People want to pay back the Congress for the development they saw during his tenures as chief minister,” said Pratibha said.
On whether she will be chief minister if the party won the polls, she said, “I am not claiming anything. However, most MLAs will want to ensure that Virbhadra Singh’s family, his legacy and his home are not neglected as it is because of him that the Congress has led the state several times. This time, too, we will win thanks to the work he has done. The final call will be taken by the high command, keeping in mind the people’s aspirations.”
Saying that the BJP will win more seats than projected in surveys and form the government with a thumping majority, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said, “Exit polls are indicating BJP’s victory. We will form the government in Himachal Pradesh,” the CM said.
Dismissing the Congress’ claims of getting majority, he said, “Everyone who contested the elections is claiming victory.”
On the challenges before the new government, he said, “The biggest challenge before HP was the lack of connectivity. In last five years, the rural connectivity has improved and we have broken the records of all previous governments in providing road links to the villages.”
The elections to the state assembly were held on November 12 ,while the term of the present government ends on January 8, 2023. The BJP led its power-packed campaign with the motto: “Raj nahin, rivaaz badalna hai (will change the tradition, not the rule)”, the Congress relied on “Rivaaz nahin, raj badalna hai”. There are total 412 candidates, including 24 women, in the fray in HP which has 55,92,828 voters.
87% postal ballots issued to govt staffers received till Dec 6
Returning officers had received 87% of the postal ballots issued to government employees on poll duty till December 6, chief electoral officer Himachal Pradesh Manish Garg said on Wednesday. More ballots are expected to arrive before the day of counting, December 8.
As many as 67,721 postal ballots were issued to government staff deployed on election duty, of which 52,859 have been received, a 17% increase from the 2017 elections when 45,126 ballots were received. There was also an 11% increase in the number of postal ballots issued to the employees on election duty.
However, the voter turnout among service voters (armed forces serving outside a state) remained low at 32%. Of the 67,559 postal ballots issued to service voters, only 21,768 were received. As many as 38,207 postal ballots have been received from absentee voters, taking the total number of postal ballots received to 1,12,834, said Garg.
Counting will start at 8 am in 68 counting halls at 59 locations throughout the state and around 10,000 duty staff, including security personnel, have been deployed with teams of returning officers and assistant returning officers.
Depending on the availability of space, a maximum of 14 counting tables and a minimum of eight counting tables would be made available in the counting halls. There will be a separate table to process nearly 500 postal ballots. Besides, there will also be separate tables for scanning electronically transmitted postal ballots linked to computers for counting, Garg said.
EVMs in tribal Lahaul-Spiti were shifted to Bhuntar in Kullu, and those in the Bharmour assembly segment were moved to Chamba for counting.Meanwhile, counting for the Kinnaur assembly segment will take place at Reckong-Peo.
