Shimla, May 26
Polling for the first phase of Panchayat elections began across Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, with voting underway in 1,293 gram panchayats. According to the State Election Commission, nearly 18 percent voter turnout was recorded till 9 am. A total of 8,198 polling stations have been set up across the state, and voting will continue till 3 pm. Counting for Pradhan, Up-Pradhan, and ward members will take place immediately after polling, while results for Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad seats will be declared on May 31.
To ensure transparency, the Himachal Pradesh State Election Commission introduced a unique barcode system for ballot boxes this year. Officials said the barcodes would be scanned during polling and counting to prevent tampering and ensure fair elections. Election authorities also conducted several voter awareness campaigns to encourage higher participation in the democratic process.
Meanwhile, a major lapse surfaced in the Karsog area of Mandi district, where polling was halted after the name of a candidate, Hoshiyar Singh, was missing from ballot papers in Thach-Thermi, Pralog, and Mendi BDC wards. Following the complaint, voting in the affected areas was immediately stopped. The Election Commission cancelled polling in Mendi Panchayat and announced fresh voting for the ward on May 28.
