Voting for urban local body elections across Himachal Pradesh picked up momentum on Sunday as thousands of residents stepped out to cast their votes for municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats. From early morning, polling booths witnessed steady queues, with women, elderly citizens and first-time voters participating enthusiastically in the democratic process.
The polling began at 7 am for 51 urban local bodies, including the four major municipal corporations of Dharamshala, Solan, Mandi, and Palampur. Election officials reported that the process remained largely peaceful and well-managed throughout the morning hours, with no major technical glitches reported in Electronic Voting Machines.
By early afternoon, several areas had already recorded significant voter participation. The Solan Municipal Corporation saw a turnout of 44.28 percent by 1 pm, while the Mandi Municipal Corporation recorded nearly 49.90 percent voting during the same period. Meanwhile, voting in Dharamshala remained comparatively slower, reaching 42.2 percent turnout by 1 pm despite steady movement at polling booths.
Apart from the municipal corporations, several municipal councils reported strong voter enthusiasm. In Jogindernagar, polling crossed 57 percent, while Nerchowk recorded nearly 60 percent turnout. Sarkaghat and Sundernagar also witnessed more than half of the voters casting their ballots by early afternoon. In Parwanoo Municipal Council, voting reached 59.41 percent, while Arki saw an even higher participation of over 63 percent.
Nagar Panchayats also reported impressive turnout figures. Karsog and Rewalsar both crossed the 60 percent mark, while Kandaghat registered one of the highest participation levels with around 69 percent voting by early afternoon.
Across several towns, polling stations saw a noticeable presence of women voters. Many senior citizens also came forward to exercise their right to vote. In one inspiring moment, a 100-year-old woman cast her vote in Chirgaon Nagar Panchayat, drawing admiration from election officials and other voters present at the booth. In Dharamshala, a 91-year-old voter also participated in the election, reflecting the enthusiasm among elderly residents.
In another heart-warming scene, NCC cadets assisted a voter using a wheelchair at a polling booth in Rampur, ensuring that he could comfortably cast his vote.
However, the day was not without tragedy. In Chamba, a 70-year-old man reportedly died after suffering a suspected heart attack while on his way to vote in the municipal council election in the Jansali ward. The incident brought a moment of sadness to the otherwise peaceful polling process in the district.
Overall, polling is being held for 64 wards in the four municipal corporations, 229 wards in 25 municipal councils, and 156 wards in 22 nagar panchayats across the state. While municipal councils and nagar panchayats are largely contested on non-party lines, the elections in the four municipal corporations are being fought by major political parties, making them politically significant.
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According to election authorities, counting for municipal councils and nagar panchayats will begin soon after polling ends later in the day. However, counting for the four municipal corporations will take place on May 31.
With steady turnout recorded across most regions and voters continuing to arrive at polling booths through the afternoon, officials expect the final voting percentage to increase further by the time polling concludes. The results of these civic elections are expected to influence the direction of local governance and development in many urban areas of Himachal Pradesh.