Shimla MC polls: 58.97 per cent cast vote, turnout marginally up from last time

Shimla, May 2

Even as rain played spoilsport, 58.97 per cent voters cast their vote for electing councilors from the 34 wards falling under the prestigious Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC), here today.

While the overall male voting percentage stood at 59.29 per cent, the women voters recorded a voting percentage of 58.60 per cent. The voter turnout has increased marginally from the last MC elections held in 2017, when 57.8 per cent voters exercised their voting right.

There are a total of 102 candidates in the fray from the 34 wards, with both Congress and BJP fielding candidates from all the wards. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.

Had it not been for the steady drizzle that continued till around 3pm, the voter turnout could have been higher. “The voting has been peaceful, we have received no complaints. EVMs malfunctioned in 2-3 wards, but they were promptly replaced,” said Aditya Negi, DC Shimla.

The polling got off to a slow start amidst the rain, with just13.17 per cent voters casting their vote till 10am. The voting picked up after 10 am, and the voting percentage reached 29 per cent at noon, and 43.6 per cent at 2 pm. With rain slowing down around 3pm, people turned out in greater numbers, taking the overall percentage to almost 59 per cent.

The highest voting percentage was recorded in Bhattakuffar ward, where 74.9 per cent people cast their vote. The only other ward to record a voting percentage above 70 per cent was Upper Dhalli with 71.3 per cent votes. The lowest voting was recorded in Panthaghati ward, where just 46.8 per cent voters cast their vote.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu cast his vote in Chotta Shimla ward, from where he had been a two-time councillor. He was accompanied by his wife and two daughters.

“I had been a councillor from this ward… it feels nice to come back here to cast vote for your councillor,” the CM said. He hoped the work his government had done in the last four months would fetch people’s vote and support for his party candidates.

Suresh Bhardwaj, the UD minister in the BJP government, also cast his vote in the Chotta Shimla ward, making the contest in this ward quite interesting. Accusing thegovernment of making rules and reservation roaster as per its convenience, Bhardwaj said the people had made up their mind to vote for BJP after seeing government’s flip-flop over the guarantees they had offered ahead of the Assembly polls.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister Anand Sharma, who especially came from Delhi for the MC elections, cast his vote in Bharari ward. “People gave a mandate to the Congress in the Assembly elections and I am sure we will have their vote and support in the MC elections as well,” said Anand Sharma.