The first phase of Himachal Pradesh panchayat elections ended peacefully on Tuesday with a voter turnout of nearly 78 percent across the state. Despite minor clashes in a few places and some polling-related problems, voting remained mostly calm and smooth.
Polling took place in 1,293 gram panchayats from 7 am to 3 pm. More than 14.25 lakh people voted out of over 18.22 lakh eligible voters, showing strong public participation in local democracy.
Officials said this turnout was slightly higher than the 77 percent voting recorded in the 2021 panchayat elections.
At the same time, the state was facing a yellow alert for heatwave conditions in districts such as Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Solan and Sirmaur. Even with hot weather, people came out in large numbers to cast their votes.
The counting of votes for pradhan, up-pradhan and ward member posts started soon after polling ended. Meanwhile, counting for block development council (BDC) and zila parishad seats is scheduled for May 31.
Different districts reported different levels of voting, but overall participation remained high.
Kullu district recorded the highest turnout at nearly 84 percent, making it the best-performing district in terms of voter participation.
It was followed by Sirmaur district, where turnout crossed 82 percent, and Solan district, which recorded around 81 percent voting.
Shimla district also showed strong participation with nearly 80 percent polling.
On the other hand, Lahaul and Spiti district recorded the lowest turnout at around 69 percent.
Kangra district, which has the highest number of voters in Himachal Pradesh, recorded around 75 percent turnout.
Meanwhile, Hamirpur district reported nearly 73 percent voting.
Officials said voter participation remained strong in both urban and remote rural areas.
One of the most important features of the election was the high participation of women.
According to official data, women voters outnumbered men in voting percentages.
Female turnout reached nearly 81.85 percent, while male turnout stood at around 75.51 percent.
This showed that women actively participated in local governance and democratic processes.
However, a few districts showed different trends.
In Shimla, male turnout stood at 80.51 percent, slightly higher than women turnout of 79.37 percent.
Similarly, in Kinnaur district, male participation was marginally higher.
In Sirmaur district, voting among men and women remained almost equal, with both groups crossing 82 percent turnout.
At the grassroots level, Kunair-Dhamaun gram panchayat in Sirmaur district recorded an impressive 97 percent turnout, becoming one of the highest voting locations in the state.
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Election officials made several special arrangements to help people vote, especially in remote regions.
In Kangra district, authorities created a special polling station for the remote Bara Bhangal gram panchayat.
This helped all 101 registered voters in the area cast their votes successfully.
Officials said such steps were necessary to ensure every citizen could participate in democracy regardless of location.
Although polling remained mostly peaceful, a few incidents caused temporary disruption.
In Una and Solan districts, minor clashes between rival groups were reported.
At Sheetalpur polling station in Solan district, voting briefly stopped after a scuffle between political groups outside the booth created tension.
Security personnel quickly intervened and restored normalcy, allowing polling to restart.
In Chamba district, polling for one ward member seat had to be cancelled because a candidate contesting the election died before polling.
Meanwhile, in Shimla district, voting in one ward under the Rampur block was cancelled after election staff mistakenly used a NOTA stamp along with the authorised voting symbol stamp.
Officials later announced fresh polling in that ward on May 30.
A major election-related mistake happened in Karsog subdivision of Mandi district.
Polling for a BDC seat had to be stopped after officials discovered that the name of a candidate, Hoshiyar Singh, was missing from ballot papers.
Instead of the candidate’s name, the NOTA option appeared.
The mistake was noticed shortly after polling began.
Authorities immediately suspended voting for that specific BDC seat.
However, polling for other panchayat positions continued normally.
Officials later informed the State Election Commission, which decided to postpone voting for that ward.
Fresh polling has now been rescheduled for May 28.
District authorities also ordered an investigation to find out how such a serious mistake happened.
Officials responsible may face action after the inquiry.
After polling ended, both the ruling Congress government and opposition BJP reacted strongly to early election trends.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s principal media adviser Naresh Chauhan claimed Congress-supported candidates were receiving strong public support.
He said voters were showing trust in the state government’s policies and development work.
On the other hand, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur thanked voters for supporting BJP-backed candidates.
He criticised the state government and alleged that some officials had failed to act fairly during polling.
He also claimed complaints regarding irregularities and negligence had been received from several areas.
In a tragic incident linked to election tensions, a young man died in Solan district’s Darlaghat area.
According to police, an argument reportedly broke out during a gathering connected to panchayat elections.
The dispute allegedly turned violent.
Police said one youth, identified as Kunal, allegedly pushed another man, Ashwani, from a balcony.
Ashwani suffered serious injuries and later died.
Police registered a case and began an investigation.
In Mandi district’s Dharampur area, allegations of fake voting also surfaced.
A polling agent complained that another person allegedly voted in place of the son of a candidate related to a former minister.
A formal complaint was submitted to district officials.
The administration said legal action would be taken if any rule violation was confirmed.
The first phase of Himachal Pradesh panchayat elections showed strong public participation, with nearly 78 percent turnout despite hot weather and a few isolated incidents.
Women voters played a major role, turnout increased compared to the last elections, and remote areas also saw successful voting.
Although minor clashes, technical mistakes and allegations emerged, authorities managed to continue polling peacefully in most places.
With counting underway and later phases still to come, the elections are expected to shape local leadership and village governance across Himachal Pradesh for the coming years.
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