A voting percentage of 46.47 was recorded in the byelection to the Dehra Assembly constituency in Himachal Pradesh as of 1 pm on Wednesday (July 10, 2024), a high-stakes seat where Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s wife Kamlesh Thakur is pitted from the Congress against two-term former Independent MLA Hoshyar Singh, who is seeking re-election on the BJP ticket.
Of the three seats where byelections are to be held, the highest voting percentage by 1 pm was recorded at 51.59 per cent in Nalagarh. In Hamirpur, the count stood at 47.05 per cent.
The enthusiasm among voters has been notably high, with Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu urging residents of Dehra, Nalagarh and Hamirpur to participate actively in the democratic process.
In Hamirpur, significant enthusiasm was observed, especially among women voters at booth number 1 in Ropa gram panchayat. Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur commented on the spirited voter participation, stating that more than 16 per cent of the electorate had cast their votes by that time.
He criticised the government’s handling of the election, alleging misuse of power and claiming that BJP workers were detained at police stations. Despite these accusations, Jai Ram expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge victorious.
In Hamirpur, BJP candidate Ashish Sharma, accompanied by his family, cast his vote at the Bohni booth, while Congress candidate Dr Pushpendra Verma voted with his family at the Matani booth.
Both candidates encouraged voters to turn out in large numbers, emphasizing the importance of participation in the democratic process.
