Solan Panchayat Elections Witness Massive Voter Turnout, Women Lead Participation With 80.28% Voting

The first phase of Panchayati Raj elections in Solan witnessed remarkable enthusiasm among rural voters as the district registered an impressive 79.47 per cent voter turnout across 87 gram panchayats on Tuesday. Women voters emerged as the driving force of the democratic exercise, recording higher participation than men by 1.59 per cent.

According to official figures, women voters registered an outstanding 80.28 per cent turnout, while male voter participation stood at 78.69 per cent. The strong response from women voters highlighted the growing political awareness and active involvement of rural women in local governance across Himachal Pradesh.

Patta Block Registers Highest Polling in Solan District

Among all six development blocks of the district, Patta block recorded the highest voter turnout at 82.84 per cent across its nine panchayats. Kandaghat block followed closely with 82.11 per cent polling in 10 panchayats, while Nalagarh block registered 81.76 per cent turnout in 26 panchayats.

Dharampur block also witnessed strong participation with 80.08 per cent polling. Solan block recorded 78.96 per cent voting, whereas Kunihar block reported the lowest turnout in the district at 75.78 per cent.

Interestingly, women voters surpassed male participation particularly in Kunihar, Nalagarh and Patta blocks, showcasing the increasing influence of women in grassroots democracy.

Elderly Voters Inspire Citizens With Strong Democratic Spirit

The Panchayati Raj elections also witnessed inspiring scenes from several polling booths where elderly citizens enthusiastically exercised their right to vote. Many senior citizens arrived at polling stations with the support of family members, sending a strong message about the importance of democratic participation.

At Dhar gram panchayat in Solan block, 90-year-old Bansi Ram proudly displayed his inked finger after casting his vote. Similarly, 96-year-old Shanti Devi from Dangra panchayat showed equal enthusiasm towards the electoral process.

In Kunihar block’s Basantpur panchayat, 86-year-old Draupadi Kanwar and 95-year-old Roopplal also participated in voting, inspiring younger generations to value their democratic rights.

Polling Conducted Peacefully Across All Panchayats

Deputy Commissioner of Solan, Manmohan Sharma, confirmed that polling remained peaceful across all 87 panchayats and no untoward incident was reported during the elections.

Voting was conducted for multiple local governance positions, including panchayat members, pradhan, up-pradhan, block development committee members, and zila parishad representatives.

The high turnout in rural areas once again highlighted the strong faith of voters in grassroots democracy and local self-governance in Himachal Pradesh.

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