Election Commission reviews poll arrangements in Himachal

The Election Commission on Monday expressed satisfaction over security and poll arrangements in Himachal Pradesh that goes to polls in the last phase on May 13.

Election Commissioner Veeravalli Sundaram Sampath said that he reviewed arrangements with government officials and discussed poll-related issues with representatives of the major political parties.

When asked about the allegations by the Congress of misuse of official machinery by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, particularly in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district, Sampath said: "I have received complaints regarding the conduct of certain government officials... the state government has been told to look into the matter," Sampath told reporters.

Sampath said 60 paramilitary companies would be deployed in the state to assist the state police to conduct the election in 7,251 polling stations.

Himachal Pradesh's highest polling booth is located at Hikkam (15,500 feet) in Lahaul and Spiti district with 321 voters.

The Kaa polling booth near Yangthang in Kinnaur district has the lowest number of voters (six) in the state, while the highest number of voters (1,600) are at a polling booth in the Joginder Nagar assembly constituency.

The hill state has 2,257,310 women voters out of a total 4,604,832 electorate. The highest number of voters - 1,199,820 - is in the Kangra parliamentary constituency, followed by Hamirpur (1,187,704), Mandi (1,111,787) and Shimla (1,105,521). There are 63,760 service voters out of whom 46,409 are male and 17,351 female.

Polling for the four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh - Shimla, Kangra, Mandi and Hamirpur - is scheduled for May 13.