Reported & Written By Kumud Sharma, Diary Times, Shimla, June 02The Election Commission’s target of 76 percent voting in Himachal Pradesh has remained unfulfilled. Let us tell you that the Election Commission had dreamed of a target of 76 percent voting in Himachal Pradesh.But in the latest report released by the Election Commission itself, a total of 71 percent voting has been recorded in Himachal Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections of the year 2024.In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 72.42 percent voting was recorded in Himachal Pradesh. Looking at the figures of the year 2014, there was record-breaking voting in the figures of the year 2019.In Himachal Pradesh, 64.45 percent voting was recorded in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The biggest question is why the Election Commission failed completely in Himachal Pradesh.We tell you that the schedule of the SWEEP program is decided by the Election Commission keeping in mind the local voters.Along with this, the Election Commission also appoints thousands of SWEEP icons in every election, but the ground reality is the worst.The Election Commission could not even ensure 100 percent voting in the world’s highest polling station Tashigang in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.Tashigang polling station recorded only 80 percent voting out of 62 voters.Election boycott has taken place in some polling stations of Chamba district, but the Election Commission did not understand the problems of the voters.An average of 71 percent was recorded in the four parliamentary constituencies of Himachal Pradesh.
If the voting percentage in Himachal Pradesh had been even 73 in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission would have been praised.In the 2022 assembly elections, a record-breaking 75.87 percent voting was recorded in Himachal Pradesh.The Election Commission cannot argue that the weather in Himachal Pradesh deteriorated during the voting and that is why less voting was recorded.Let us tell you that record-breaking voting has been recorded at all the polling stations in Himachal Pradesh with temperatures above 45 degrees.Despite the temperature above 45 degrees, 92 percent voting was recorded at the Khadko polling booth of Trilokpur Panchayat under Nahan assembly constituency of Sirmaur district headquarters.Not only this, a record-breaking 80 percent voting has been recorded in the Nahan assembly constituency.The statistics also show that voters have fulfilled their responsibility by voting despite the scorching heat.
The Election Commission’s SWEEP programmes have completely failed.If the SWEEP programmes had power, the target of 76% voting in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh would have been broken.In the latest data of the Election Commission, Mandi parliamentary constituency has been placed at the top in terms of voting percentage while Kangra parliamentary constituency has got the lowest place.
The biggest question being raised is that the Election Commission had made arrangements for voting at home for the convenience of all elderly voters above 85 years of age, but most of the elderly voters above 85 years of age came to the polling booths and voted.
When Diary Times inquired from all the elderly voters above 85 years of age who were voting at the polling booths, it was found that the BLO had come to their homes and got the form filled for voting, but the facility of voting was not provided at home, so they had to come to the polling booth forcibly.
Under the seventh and final phase, voting has been conducted in 57 Lok Sabha seats of India, 9 Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal have topped the entire country in voting percentage, after that three Lok Sabha seats of Jharkhand and six Lok Sabha seats of Odisha have got the second and third place in voting percentage, four Lok Sabha seats of Himachal Pradesh have got the Fouth place in the voting percentage.
It is worth noting that on 17 March 2021, as per the order of the Election Commission of India, sixteen services were declared as essential and were also given a place in the compulsory services. Along with this, giving special status to the voters associated with sixteen services, all the voters associated with essential services were given the right to vote by postal ballot through 12D form.The biggest question arises that in Himachal Pradesh, the Election Commission, in order to meet the target of voting percentage, did not even inform the voters associated with these sixteen essential services about the right to vote by postal ballot through 12D form.
In the name of awareness, the Election Commission has made the voters of hilly states like Himachal Pradesh aware only through the press release of the Public Information and Relations Department.Do you think that the people of Himachal would be able to see the press release of the Public Information and Relations Department?
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Currently, social media dominates. But not even 1% of social media was used to make voters of Himachal Pradesh aware about voting and advertisements were not run in digital, print and electronic media because strict rules were made to implement the model code of conduct.
As far as Himachal journalists are concerned, they have not voted through postal ballot using 12D.
Diary Times Media Network has been taking up all the issues seriously & Diary Times Media Network had already come to know from its reliable sources that the Election Commission’s target of 76% voting in Himachal Pradesh will remain unfulfilled, and the Election Commission will not be able to touch the voting percentage of the year 2019.
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