Fate of 17 candidates locked in Mandi district

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, May 19

Fate of 17 candidates from the Mandi parliamentary constituency was today locked up in EVM machines for Mandi Lok Sabah seat. As expected, the main contest is between BJP and Congress candidates.

Voters started arriving at their polling stations since 7 am to cast votes. At many polling stations under Mandi parliamentary constituency, the EVMs were found dysfunctional, which hampered the voting process for some time and caused inconvenience to the voters.

Till 9 am only 14% voting was observed in the constituency. The pace gradually picked up and till evening and total voting percentage was finally observed at 72.77 %. Till 7pm the highest polling was observed in Seraj assembly segment the home constituency of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur at 81.50 per cent. The highest polling station in the country Tashigang observed 73.47 per cent polling where out of a total of 49 voters, 36 voters cast their vote. Similarly, in remote Shakti Maror polling station of Kullu district, the polling percentage was observed as.

Congress candidate Ashray Sharma cast his vote along with his family at MC Town Hall Mandi, BJP candidate Ram Swaroop Sharma cast vote at Jalpehar booth in Jogindernagar and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur along with his family cast vote at Murhag polling station at Thunag in Mandi. Bikramu Devi Devi, mother of Chief Minister, cast vote at Murhag polling station. Pandit Sukh Ram, former Telecom Minister (93), cast his vote at MC Town Hall Mandi. Zeal shown by young and PWD voters

Persons with disability and young voters showed a great deal of zeal to take active part in the election process.

Maya Devi (94) was no less enthusiastic as she arrived at Bhangrotu polling booth on wheelchair to cast vote. Similarly, 101 years old Ganga Devi cast Vote at Shastrinagar Booth of Kullu district and she was felicitated by Assistant Commissioner SP Jaswal. In Manali at booth no-8, a bridegroom Anil Kumar native of Kothi visited the polling booth along with marriage party to cast his vote. His action surprised the officers deployed in election duty.