Bypolls in Himachal Pradesh: Voter Turnout and Key Candidates

A voter turnout of 32.7 percent was recorded till 11 am in the bypolls for three Himachal Pradesh assembly segments. The vacated seats of Dehra, Hamirpur, and Nalagarh are being contested by both BJP and Congress, with key candidates filing in. Results will be announced on July 13.

A voter turnout of 32.7 percent was recorded till 11 am on Wednesday in the bypolls for three assembly segments in Himachal Pradesh. Dehra constituency saw a 31.61 percent turnout, Hamirpur 31.81 percent, and Nalagarh 34.63 percent.

The seats became vacant after independents Hoshiyar Singh (Dehra), Ashish Sharma (Hamirpur), and K L Thakur (Nalagarh) resigned on March 22, following their support for BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls. Their resignations were accepted on June 3, prompting the bypolls.

The BJP has fielded the former independent MLAs from their respective seats, while the Congress has introduced Kamlesh Thakur from Dehra, Pushpinder Verma from Hamirpur, and Hardeep Singh Baba from Nalagarh. Early voters included Singh, Thakur, Bawa, and Verma. Accusations of misusing official machinery by the Congress government surfaced, with Singh alleging police harassment. Thirteen candidates are contesting, and results will be announced on July 13.

(With inputs from agencies.)