HP elections: Voting begins as BJP looks for return to power, Cong battles for change
Shimla (PTI): Voters across Himachal Pradesh queued up outside polling booths on Saturday to elect a new state government, a crucial test for the BJP hoping to beat precedent and return to power as well as for the Congress looking for electoral revival.
Voting began at 8 am on a slow note in the hill state but began to pick up as the morning progressed and the winter chill eased a bit. The polling will continue till 5 pm in all 68 assembly constituencies.
In an early morning message to voters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged them to enthusiastically participate in the "festival of democracy" and register a voting record. In a tweet, Modi also greeted the young voters who will be exercising their franchise for the first time.
Chief Minister Jairam Thakur echoed him and said every vote will help build a prosperous Himachal Pradesh.
"First vote, then refreshments. Dear fellow state residents, today is the day of voting. My humble request to all voters of Himachal Pradesh is to participate in this festival of democracy with full enthusiasm," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
"Vote in huge numbers, your one vote will help build a prosperous Himachal," he added.
More than 55 lakh voters in the state will decide the fate of 412 candidates, including Thakur, former chief minister Virbhadhra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh and former BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti.
Twenty-four women candidates are in the fray this time. Of the total voters, 28,54,945 are male and 27,37,845 female voters in the state.
The ruling BJP is hoping for an encore on the back of its development agenda, while the opposition Congress is appealing to voters to go by the four-decade tradition of voting out incumbents in the state.
Modi has led the campaign from the front for the BJP, wrapping up his canvassing with a personal appeal to voters of the state, saying that every vote cast for the BJP symbol "lotus" will enhance his strength. The Congress, desperate to wrest the state back from the BJP after multiple electoral losses and losing nine states in two years, has principally banked on general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Party leader Rahul Gandhi has said the Congress will consider providing one lakh jobs and bring back the old pension scheme in the first cabinet meeting if voted to power.
Voting began in the morning after poll officials conducted a mock drill at all booths to check EVMs.
Himachal Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer Maneesh Garg said all arrangements were in place.
"Nearly 50,000 polling staff and around 25,000 security staff have been deployed," he told PTI.
The Election Commission has set up 7,884 polling stations, including three auxiliary voting stations in far flung areas. Of these, 789 are vulnerable booths and 397 critical ones.
The highest booth is in Tashigang, Kaza in Spiti area of Lahaul Spiti district at a height of 15,256 feet. It will cater to 52 voters.
Besides the BJP and the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party is also trying its electoral luck. It has fielded candidates on 67 of the total 68 assembly constituencies.
The BSP is fighting polls on 53 seats.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
