In hot seat Mandi, election staff trek 15 km to reach polling station
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As the campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections and Assembly by-elections in Himachal Pradesh concluded at 6 pm on Thursday (May 30, 2024), state election officials face significant logistical challenges in reaching remote and far-flung polling stations.
Chief Electoral Officer Manish Garg said that 6,589 polling parties have been dispatched to their destinations across the state’s diverse and often challenging terrains. Notably, polling parties had to trek substantial distance to ensure voting access in remote areas. In the Mehla block of Bharmour Assembly constituency in Chamba district, a polling party walked 15 km to reach Ehlami polling station.
It is part of Mandi parliamentary constituency, one of the most keenly fought seats where BJP’s Kangana Ranaut is locked in an intense fight against Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh.
Similarly, teams assigned to Pandar (Dodra Kwar) in Shimla, which has the longest walking distance in Shimla and Kullu districts, covered 11 km on foot.
The Chakki polling station in Bhattiyat Assembly constituency under the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency required a 13-km trek. For the remote Bara-Bhangal region, the polling party was airlifted by helicopter with EVMs and other necessary material.
The state has identified 369 out of its 7992 polling stations as sensitive. Kangra district, with 118 sensitive polling stations, has the highest number, followed by Sirmaur with 58, Una with 51, and Solan with 45. Other districts with sensitive polling stations include Chamba (20), Hamirpur (17), Bilaspur (16), Mandi (16), Shimla (16), Kinnaur (7), Kullu (3), and Lahaul-Spiti (2).
To ensure a peaceful election process, liquor shops will remain closed from 6 pm on May 30 until midnight on June 1, and again on June 4, the day of vote counting. Additionally, police have sealed the borders with neighboring states to prevent any unlawful activities.
Leaders and star campaigners from BJP and Congress, meanwhile, have been making their final push, with local leaders now taking over door-to-door efforts ahead of the June 1 polling.
