Himachal
Pradesh is voting in a new legislative Assembly on Saturday, November 12. The
hill state located in the foothills of the Himalayas is voting in 68 Assembly
constituencies. Elections in Himachal are likely to see a close contest. The
state has a history of voting out incumbent governments every five years, however,
the Jai Ram Thakur-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems well poised for a
difficult contest.

Himachal
has an electorate comprising 55.9 lakh people. They will be voting in 7,884
polling stations of which 789 have been marked ‘vulnerable’. A total of 412
candidates are in the fray, of which 388 are men (94%) and 24 are women (6%). Twenty
of the 68 Assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh are reserved.

Also Read | In Himachal polls, Congress relies on tradition, BJP on individual talent

In the
first hour of polling, Himachal Pradesh saw 4% votes, marking a slow start. The
early morning weather is the likely reason for slow polling in the initial hours. Until 5 pm when polling ended, 65.92% people had voted. 

Himachal
Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has already voted in Seraj.

In the 2017
Assembly elections, BJP had secured 44 seats out of 68 while Congress had
secured 21. The state had seen 74% voter turnout that year, setting a record,
the highest since 2003.

For BJP,
the biggest challenge is that it faces rebel candidates in 20 of the constituencies.
The Congress faces seven.

All eyes
will be on Kangra district which may serve as a bellwether for who is to come
to power in Himachal Pradesh. This is because, Kangra is the biggest district
in the state with 15 constituencies. In 2017, 11 of the 15 went to the BJP and
three went to the Congress. One seat went to an independent candidate.

Also Read | Why Himachal polls are a test for JP Nadda

The
Himachal Pradesh elections are also a major test for BJP national president JP
Nadda. Nadda, whose family is from Himachal and where he has himself served as
an MLA for several years, has framed BJP’s campaign for the state. Nadda’s
tenure as BJP national president was extended to 2024 in September this year.
This is the first election he will be facing since then and will be looking to
prove that he can indeed fill Amit Shah’s shoes.   

On election day, JP Nadda said, “We definitely are in comfortable majority. Election has been contested under the leadership of Jairam Thakur and he will continue (to be the CM face).” 

Nadda’s statement puts to rest rumours that he was eyeing the chief minister’s seat of Himachal Pradesh. 

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said voters should vote with full understanding of the future of Himachal Pradesh. “Dear Himachali people, you all understand the situation of yourself and your state very well. Considering your circumstances, perform the duty of voting with full understanding and make your important contribution to changing the situation and weaving the future of Himachal. Jai Hind. Jai Himachal,” she wrote on Twitter.