Voting peaceful, 72.85% turn up in Pachhad

bika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, October 21

As much as 72.85 per cent voting was registered in the byelection to the reserve Assembly segment of Pachhad in Sirmaur district today where 28,709 males and 25,135 females cast their votes.

Voting began on a sluggish note with barely 7.92 per cent people casting their mandate in the first hour in the morning. Voting gradually picked up and 26.58 per cent voting was witnessed by 11 am. The polling percentage increased to 43.61 per cent by 1 pm.

A large number of women were seen queueing up all along to exercise their voting right outside the polling booths and 59.39 per cent polling was registered by 3 pm. The percentage touched 71.64 per cent by 5 pm.

With two women comprising BJP’s Reena Kashyap and an independent Dayal Pyari being in the fray for the first time from this Assembly segment, excitement was visible among the women voters who were seen discussing the prospects of the candidates.

GR Musafir of the Congress is in poll fray and expecting the voters to favour him after two unsuccessful attempts. The seat is with the BJP since 2012.

A number of elderly voters, including persons with disabilities, also turned up to exercise their franchise. Veer Singh, a 102-year voter, turned up to cast his vote at Kalyo Pab booth while another voter of the same age Meena Ram, also exercised his voting right at Kathali Bharan. The election staff helped several PWDs to cast their votes in several polling booths of the constituency.

Election Returning Officer Naresh Verma said polling was peaceful and no violence was reported. The VVPAT machines developed snag at three booths and were replaced soon. He said all polling counters set up by the parties were found to be outside the 100-m radius, though there were some complaints but no violation was reported.

Congress candidate GR Musafir cast his vote in the morning at Dilman, while BJP’s Reena Kashyap exercised her right at Neri Kotli later in the day along with her family members. BJP’s rebel candidate Dayal Pyari took stock of voting at various booths in the morning before casting her vote in the afternoon from Devel Tikkari.

An impressive 77.81 voting percentage was registered at Neri Kotli polling booth where 803 voters cast their votes out of a total of 1,032 voters. In Dayal Pyari’s home booth of Devel Tikkari the figure was as high as 82.56 per cent with 322 of the 390 voters casting their votes. In GR Musafir’s home booth of Dilman, as many as 83.45 per cent votes were cast and 605 of the total 725 voters came out to vote.

Total voters 73,909

53,844 Cast vote

Male 28,709

Female 25,135