Rampur, November 12: Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh cast his vote on Saturday along with his mother Pratibha Singh and said that the BJP will face defeat in the assembly election like they did in the last bypoll. Before heading for the polling booth, the mother-son duo offered prayers at Shani Mandir in Shimla.

"We would like to tell the people of Himachal Pradesh to vote for development and work. Congress has always worked for development and coming future, only Congress can take it forward in the state," Pratibha Singh said adding that they (Congress) is confident of winning 40-45 seats in Himachal. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: 17.98% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 11 AM in Vidhan Sabha Polls.

"In the recent bypoll in the state, the Government faced defeat. That was semi-finals, this is the final now. They will lose these elections too. Congress will form a government here with majority," Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh at Rampur in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla.

He also said that the elections in the state are being contested for taking the state forward and changing its condition. "The poll is being contested to take the state forward and change its condition. This is not just about Congress leaders and workers but about the future of the state, he further said alleging the current government of suppressing the voice of the society.

"The current government suppressed and overlooked the voices of all sections of society," Singh alleged. As the voting began for 68 Assembly seats, Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Pratibha Singh also said that everyone will cast their vote today and cooperate to form a new government in the state. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: Anurag Thakur Attacks Congress on Polling Day, Says Party Makes False Promises.

A total of 55,92,828 electors will decide the fate of 412 candidates in the Himachal polls. Out of the total number of electorates, 27,37,845 are women, 28,54,945 are men and 38 are third-gender. This time, the representation of woman candidates is 24. "All people of Himachal Pradesh are very excited. Everyone will cast their vote today and cooperate to form a new government in the state," Pratibha Singh said.

Speaking on anti-incumbency in the state, the Congress chief said, "I don't think there is anything like that. As far as voters are concerned, the majority of them see who has worked and who has to be brought forward."

The fight is in between the ruling BJP in the state which is looking to retain power ditching the trend of the alternate party coming to power every five years since 1982, and Congress which is banking on its '10 guarantees' that the party listed out in its manifesto to take them home. Aam Aadmi Party is in line looking to leave a mark in the state and thus contesting on all the 68 seats alone.

On one side BJP which is trying to change the trend of alternate government, has promised to implement the Uniform Civil Code, eight lakh jobs in the state, 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and educational institutions.

While Congress which is the oldest party of the country has promised to fulfill the long pending demand of the hilly state of the Old Pension Scheme. The party has also promised to give 1 lakh government jobs. To woo women, who form 48 per cent of the electorate, Congress has promised Rs 1,500 per month to each of them aged between 18 and 60. It has also promised 300 units of free electricity.

Besides these three parties, parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Rashtriya Devbhumi Party (RDP) are in the fray.

Meanwhile, 67 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) comprising 6,700 personnel and 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies have been deployed to hold free and fair Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh. Besides this, 50,000 government employees have been put on poll duty. As many as 25,000 police officers are also stationed across the state.

Teams from the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) comprising 800 personnel have also been posted.

The counting of votes will be done on December 8. In 2017, BJP swept the Himachal polls, bagging 44 of the total 68 seats while Congress managed to get just 21 seats.

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