Will Mandi, 2nd largest segment, witness tussle between greenhorns?

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 20

Spread over six out of 12 districts, the sprawling Mandi parliamentary constituency has the distinction of having the highest number of eight out of 17 reserved Assembly segments and the world’s highest and the second highest polling booths.

Area-wise, Mandi is the second largest constituency in the country with high mountain passes. All three tribal Assembly segments of Kinnaur, Bharmour and Lahaul-Spiti and five constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes fall in Mandi. The reserved SC Assembly segments are Rampur (Shimla), Anni (Kullu), Nachan, Karsog and Balh (Mandi).

It comprises all four Assembly segments of Kullu district, nine out of 10 segments of Mandi district, Rampur in Shimla district, Bharmour in Chamba district, one tribal segment each in Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts. The Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe population constitutes 36.8 per cent of the total voting population in Mandi constituency.

The constituency shares the international border with China, inter-state border with Jammu and Kashmir and inter-district borders with Shimla, Hamirpur and Bilaspur. The maximum number of 2,079 polling booths has been set up for the constituency this time against 1985 in 2014.

Mandi also has the distinction of having the world’s highest polling booths at Tashigang village at a height of 15,256 ft catering to twin villages of Tashigang and Gete with 48 voters (30 men and 18 women), located close to the China border and the second highest polling booth at Hikkim at 14,567 ft, both in Lahaul-Spiti.

The total number of voters in the constituency is 12,26,268 which includes 6,19,436 males, 6,06,829 females and three third gender voters. The maximum voters are in the Jogindernagar Assembly segment (91,402) while the least number of voters are in Lahaul and Spiti (23,407). The first voter of India, Shyam Saran Negi, who has exercised his franchise in all the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections held since 1951, lives at Kalpa in Kinnaur district.

Mandi parliamentary constituency has diverse climatic zones and hostile terrains and is dotted with mountain passes like Rohtang Pass (3,978 mts), Kunzum Pass (4,590 mts), Baralacha La (4,890 mts), Hamta Pass (4,270 mt), Rupin Pass (4,650 mts), Chandrakhani Pass (3,660 mts), Saach Pass (4,420 mt), Shingo La (5091 mts), Debsa Pass ( 5360 mts) and Pin Parbati Pass(5319 mts) fall in Mandi.

Mandi constituency has elected scions of erstwhile princely states in 12 out 17 elections, including byelection in 2013. Mandi was double member constituency in 1952 and Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur won the seat along with Gopi Ram. Joginder Sen from Suket state won in 1957, Lalit Sen, also from Suket, won in 1962 and 1967. Virbhadra Singh was elected in 1971, 1980 and 2009, former ruler of Kullu Maheshwar Singh in 1989,1998 and 1999. Rani Pratibha Singh emerged victorious in 2004 and 2013 (by-election).  However, former Union minister Sukh Ram, who was elected from Mandi thrice in 1984 ,1991 and 1996, Ganga Singh, who defeated Virbhadra Singh in 1977, and Ram Swaroop Sharma, who defeated Pratibha Singh in 2014, were exceptions and did not hail from royal dynasties. 

India’s first voter from Kinnaur

The first voter of India, Shyam Saran Negi, who has exercised his franchise in all Lok Sabha and Assembly elections since 1951, belongs to Kalpa in Kinnaur district.

Highest polling booth

The Mandi constituency also has the distinction of having the world’s highest polling booth at Tashigang village at a height of 15,256 ft catering to twin villages of Tashigang and Gete with 48 voters (30 men and 18 women), located close to the China border and the second highest polling booth at Hikkim at 14,567 ft, both in Lahaul-Spiti.

Hostile terrains

Mandi parliamentary constituency has diverse climatic zones and hostile terrains and is dotted with mountain passes like Rohtang Pass (3,978 mts), Kunzum Pass (4,590 mts), Baralacha La (4,890 mts) andHamta Pass (4,270 mt)