Shimla: 40 per cent polling in SMC elections

Shimla, May 23: Polling is on in the 25 wards of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections with around 40 per cent of the voters casting their votes up to 1300 hrs, official sources said.

In all, 94 candidates from the Congress, the BJP and the CPM, and the independents are in the fray in these local elections.

The sources said over 1.12 lakh voters would cast their votes in the 150 polling booths set up across the town.

Twenty three women candidates are also in the fray in these local elections with the Congress, BJP and the CPM together fielding 21, while two are contesting elections as independents.

Chamyana ward has the maximum number of voters at 7,303 and nine polling booths, while Benmore ward has the lowest number of voters at 2,733, the sources said.

Congress has retained control over the Shimla Municipal Corporation since 1986 when it was formed.

The election results would be declared on Friday.

UNI