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| High altitude districts of HP register high polling of 70% |
| Press Trust of India / Shimla May 14, 2009, 14:01 IST |
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Election Commission's efforts of setting up polling booths at high altitude districts of Lahual and Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh have paid off with over 70 per cent voting recorded in these areas.
These remote tribal areas dotted with difficult geographical terrain registered highest voting percentage in the state which went to Lok Sabha polls yesterday, sources in the state election office said.
While Lahual and Spiti also known as "cold desert" recorded 70 per cent voting percentage, it was 69.40 per cent in Kinnaur bordering China and Pangi in Chamba had 79 per cent voters turnout, the sources added.
The high voting figures is impressive considering the fact that many candidates had failed to campaign in these areas due to hostile weather.
The statistic is surprising considering the fact that polling percentage in comfortable areas like Shimla town was as low as 46 per cent, Shimla rural (38 per cent)and Dharamsala (44.62 per cent), the state election office figures said. While Lahual & Spiti, Kinnaur and Pangi sub-division of Chamba district formed part of Mandi Lok Sabha constituency rest of Chamba falls in Kangra seat.
There are four Lok Sabha seats in HP—Mandi, Hamirpur, Kangra and Shimla (reserved).
Tribal districts of Lahual & Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba have the privilege of voting first in the Independent India.
Anticipating heavy snowfall in December when the country after Independence went to Lok Sabha polls for the first time, polling was held in these areas in October 1951, three months in advance than rest of the country. The rest of the country exercised their franchise between December 1951 and February 1952.
Poll percentage in HP yesterday was 58.76 per cent.
In Lahual & Spiti, where polling was facilitated by timely reopening of Rohtang pass on Monday evening after fresh snowfall, long queues of voters were witnessed on all 89 booths in the district for over 22,000 electors.
At Hikkam polling station located at a height of 16,000 feet above sea level and which is considered as second highest in the country after a booth in Ladakh, voters streamed throughout the day.
A report from the district said some locals had arrived at Hikkam, where booth was set up for voters of 8 villages, previous night itself to exercise their franchise.
Report from Kinnaur district said guided with enthusiasm, voters trekked miles to cast their votes. At Charang polling station in Kinnaur district at a height of 11,000 feet, 124 voters out of a total of 169 trekked 15 km through difficult terrain to vote. Voting was almost 100 per cent at Kaa polling booth of the district located at a height of 12,000 feet where 18 out of 19 listed voters exercised their franchise.
Polling was also impressive at Nakoo booth at an altitude of 12,500 feet where 260 voters out of a total of 365 turned up.
At 32 polling stations in Pangi valley, which remains cut off from rest of the world for six months due to heavy snowfall, high voter turn up was recorded. A large number of electors trekked 19 km from nearest roadhead to cast their vote at a booth at Chask Bhattori in Pangi valley.
State election office sources said while 87.93 per cent electors had been provided photo identity cards it was 90.17 per cent in Kinnaur and Chamba (85.44 per cent).
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