Himachal votes today, PM Modi urges voters to turn up in record numbers
Shimla, Nov 9 (IBNS): More than 50 lakh people are expected to take part in the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, which began on Thursday morning.
Urging voters to turn up in huge numbers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Urging people of Himachal Pradesh to vote in record numbers."
The voters will seal the fate of the 68-member legislative assembly, who will have to wait till Dec 18 to know the results.
The poll is witnessing heavyweights from both the BJP and the Congress battle it out for supremacy in the state.
Six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 83, a prime Congress contestant, is the oldest candidate, while the poll will also witness the debut appearance of his 27-year-old son Vikramaditya.
The octogenarian will retain his position is elected to power again.
The junior Singh has been handed Simla (Rural), which originally belonged to his father, to battle it out against BJP's Pramod Sharma, a Virbhadra protege.
Two-time former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of the BJP is contesting from Sujanpur.
Dhumal is BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate.
The 73-year-old's opponent is Congress' Rajinder Rana, who is in his home turf and has already won the 2012 elections from the same seat.
Party wise, both the nationalised party, BJP and Congress, have fielded 68 candidates each, while BSP has fielded 42 candidates, followed by CPM with 14.
The CPI, NCP and the SP have fielded 3, 2 and 2 candidates respectively.
The independent candidate count is 112.
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