Himachal Pradesh will go to poll in a single phase on 12th of next month and the counting will be held on 8th of December this year. The notification for the 68-member state assembly will be issued on 17th of this month and 25th of October will be the last date for filling of nominations.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of polls. Briefing the media in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the poll schedule. He said over 55 lakh people are eligible to vote in Himachal Pradesh.
The Commission will identify lowest polling percentage booth in each constituency to increase voting through awareness. He added that some polling stations will be managed entirely by Divyang staff.
He also said the ECI’s Suvidha Portal will provide online nomination and affidavit facility to candidates and political parties. Permissions for rallies and meetings can also be applied online through this portal.
The CEC appealed to voters to value their hard-earned right to franchise and come out to vote in maximum numbers. Mr Rajiv Kumar said, the Commission is committed to the free, fair and inducement-free Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh.
He said, the Commission has adopted zero tolerance against any kind of inducement and it has energised its entire machinery to curb it.
The State has also been adivsed to continue to follow five-fold strategy of Test, Track, Treat, Vaccination and COVID-appropriate behavior.
When asked about not announcing the date of upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat, the Chief Election Commissioner said that the Election Commission goes by convention and it has followed the last convention.
He said, the gap between tenure of Assembly of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat is 40 days. He said, factors like weather is important in Himachal Pradesh especially in the upper reaches in the Constituencies where snowing takes place.