74 per cent voter turnout in Himachal Pradesh assembly election

New Delhi:(Page3 News Network/Newsonair)-Himachal Pradesh has registered about 74 per cent voting in Assembly Election on Sunday. Briefing the media in New Delhi, Deputy Election Commissioner Alok Shukla said that polling was totally peaceful and incident free.
He said voting percentage may go up further as balloting was going on at about 200 polling booths even after 5 PM and large numbers of voters were queuing up to cast their ballots.
Mr Shukla informed that 73 notices were issued in connection with suspected cases of paid news. Out of them 19 cases were confirmed. The Deputy Election Commissioner said that 80 per cent arms were deposited to ensure violence free polling.
The highest turnout of about 82 per cent voters have been reported in Sirmour district, followed by 80.34 per cent in Solan district and 78.74 per cent in Kullu district.
Shimla district witnessed the lowest turn over of 69.85 per cent.
Other eight districts have recorded between 7o to 75 per cent of polling.
The present percentage of total votes polled is more than the last assembly elections.
It was 71.61 percent during 2007.
The fate of 459 candidates including Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, HPCC President, Virbhadra Singh and President of Himachal Lokhit Party, Maheshwar Singh had been sealed in the EVMs. 
Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI (M), CPI, TMC, NCP, Shiv Sena, Lok Jan Shakti Party and Himachal Swabhiman Party and 105 Independents have contested the election.