Himachal will vote in single phase on Nov 12

Elections to the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh assembly will be held on November 12 and votes will be counted on December 8, the Election Commission said on Friday.

The last date for filing nominations is October 25 and that for withdrawal October 29, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar said. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are vying for control of the state assembly, whose current term ends on January 8, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerging as the third contender.

The poll body did not announce the election dates for Gujarat, which did not go down well with opposition parties who alleged that the BJP was being favoured.

Kumar said the decision to first announce the Himachal elections was in line with precedents and would help reduce the duration of the model code of conduct — when the government is barred from taking decisions that might impact the election — from 70 days to 57.

“There are a number of factors, such as weather. We want to hold the Himachal elections before the onset of snow, especially in the upper reaches where snowing takes place... The EC followed convention last followed in announcing the polls,” Kumar said.

“There is a gap of 40 days between the end of the assemblies of the two states. According to the rules, it should be at least 30 days so that one result doesn’t impact the other,” the CEC added.

Last time, the Gujarat polls were announced within two weeks of the Himachal dates being declared, with the counting of votes coinciding for both states on December 18.

Earlier this year, the Election Commission simultaneously announced polls in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand. The gap between the lapsing of the Goa and UP assemblies was 60 days, yet the polls were clubbed.

The Congress hit out at the Election Commission, alleging that it was allowing the government an unfair advantage.

“Obviously this has been done to give more time to the PM to make some mega promises & carry out more inaugurations. Not at all surprising,” Congress media incharge Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

While there was no reaction from the BJP on the Opposition’s charge, party president JP Nadda, welcoming the announcement, tweeted, “Election is the biggest celebration of democracy. It is a medium to keep the country and the state on the path of development and good governance. I appeal to the people of the state to elect a government that contributes to the progress and progress of the state.”

The Congress, which is aiming to return to power in the hilly state, is busy battling infighting. Yet to resolve its leadership crisis, the party has been hit by discontent and defections though Congress leaders came out in one voice to criticise the incumbent BJP during the Prime Minister’s recent rallies.

The Jairam Thakur-led BJP government in the state is seeking to return to power, banking on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has already held several rallies and announced projects worth over ₹6,000 crore in the last two weeks. The BJP is focusing sharply on the Kangra region that elects about a quarter of the state’s assembly. Kangra has historically shown a trend of voting against the incumbent regime, raising concerns for the saffron party this time. The party that wins the most seats in Kangra usually forms the government in the state.

“Traditionally elections are declared together for states where the polls are scheduled few days apart. However, it seems that opportunity is being given to the ruling party of BJP to get time for pre-poll announcements and project declarations in Gujarat as the party is losing ground with growing popularity of Aam Aadmi Party here. People of Gujarat will surely vote for change and the December 8 results will show this,” said Punit Juneja, spokesperson for AAP Gujarat.

Kumar said proactive steps were taken to register people with disabilities, senior citizens and transgenders in the voter rolls. The commission is also trying to address urban apathy, as it noted that the lowest voter turnout was in the cities.

Election officials have been asked to identify polling booths with lower voting percentages in each constituency and encourage people to vote. There will also be at least one women-run polling station in each constituency, including the security staff.

The commission has decided that people in the 80+ age bracket and Covid-infected voters can either vote at polling stations or use postal ballots. The entire process of postal ballot collection will be videographed for the first time to ensure no political party exercises undue influence over voters.

There are over 5.5 million electors in the state, of which 56,000 are persons with disabilities and 1,184 are 100+ years of age. Himachal Pradesh will have 43,173 new voters this time.

“The commission undertook various consultations, including Covid consultations with health secretaries. Although it is not that much of a concern, we have advised the states to follow the five-prong strategy of test, track, treat, vaccinate, and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour,” Kumar said.

The commission has established social media teams at the CEO’s office and all DM offices to crack down on misinformation and misuse of digital platforms. “We will not hesitate to take criminal action against those spreading misinformation,” Kumar cautioned. “The social media companies have been asked to take action immediately.”