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Nalagarh staff found negligent, replaced

SOLAN: Solan district witnessed 75.77 per cent turnout in its five Assembly segments comprising Kasauli, Arki, Solan, Doon and Nalagarh where, apart from one incident where polling officials failed to the mock poll data at the Kashmirpur polling booth in Nalagarh, no major problem was witnessed.

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Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, May 19

Solan district witnessed 75.77 per cent turnout in its five Assembly segments comprising Kasauli, Arki, Solan, Doon and Nalagarh where, apart from one incident where polling officials failed to delete the mock poll data at the Kashmirpur polling booth in Nalagarh, no major problem was witnessed.

Voting began on a sluggish note at 7 am and by 9 am, barely 14.13 per cent turnout was recorded in the five segments. It touched 30.25 per cent by 11 am, 46.68 per cent by 1 pm and 60.72 per cent by 3 pm. At last, 71.01 per cent voting had been recorded by 5 pm. SDM-cum Assistant Returning Officer, Nalagarh, Prashant Deshta facilitated an 80-year-old handicapped women Antti Devi to cast vote at Khera Nanowaal booth in Nalagarh by picking her up in his arms from her home and taking her to the booth lying some distance away. This humanitarian gesture had been appreciated by the people. Deshta said the elderly woman had developed a stoop and could not sit on a wheel chair. Since her son was in the Army, it was decided to help her by making personal efforts and similar help had been extended to other handicapped voters.

Voters were greeted by a melodious band display by girls at a polling booth at St Luke’s School in Solan which had been set up as a model polling booth.

In Doon, 106-year-old Shibbi Devi cast her vote at Kuthar polling booth where she was garlanded and extended a warm welcome by the polling staff. A snag which had occurred in the Kander polling booth in Arki around 10:30 am that had briefly halted the polling, rued voters.

DC Vinod Kumar said in the Kashmirpur polling booth in Nalagarh, the polling party was replaced at 3 pm as they hadn’t cleared the mock poll result data from the control unit. Further action against them would be initiated after receiving the directions from the Election Commission of India. He said a few incidents of EVM malfunctioning occurred in the district but they were replaced with new EVMs.Deshta said an error of 36 votes was visible when the sector officer visited the polling booth and inspected the process as the data of the mock poll had not been cleared from the control unit. He said the polling agents of both parties were also apprised of the error and the staff were immediately replaced.

Voters of Boe Sui village in former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s Assembly segment of Arki boycotted the polls to protest the absence of basic infrastructure.


Poll Officer to old woman’s rescue

Assistant Returning Officer, Nalagarh, Prashant Deshta picked an 80-year-old handicapped women Antti Devi in his arms from her home and took her to the booth. The woman had developed a stoop and could not sit on a wheel chair. 

Voters were greeted by a melodious band display by girls at the polling booth of St Luke’s School in Solan which had been set up as a model polling booth.

In Doon, 106-year-old Shibbi Devi cast her vote at the Kuthar polling booth where she was garlanded and extended a warm welcome by the polling staff. 


High percentage

  1. Doon: 79%
  2. Nalagarh: 79.53%
  3. Kasauli: 76.55%
  4. Arki: 73.75%
  5. Solan: 70.39%
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