Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged the people of Himachal Pradesh to come out and vote in "record numbers" for the assembly election underway in the state.
"Himachal Pradesh is polling today. I request every voter to cast vote...," the Prime Minister tweeted. The main contest in the 68-seat assembly poll is between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Congress has projected incumbent Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as its chief ministerial candidate, while Prem Kumar Dhumal is the BJP's.
A total of 50.25 lakh electorate, including 19 lakh women and 14 transgenders, will decide the fate of the candidates.
The polling that began at 8 a.m. will continue till 5 p.m.
The vote count will be held on December 18 along with those of Gujarat.
