High voter turnout in Himachal (Third Lead)

Shimla, May 7 (IANS) Nearly two million people voted by lunch-time in Himachal Pradesh Wednesday, as the state's four Lok Sabha constituencies went to the polls.

As many as 38 candidates are in the fray for the Lok Sabha election in Kangra, Mandi, Hamirpur and Shimla constituencies.

"The voter turnout was 41 percent by 1 p.m.," state Chief Electoral Officer Narinder Chauhan told IANS here.

By-poll in one assembly constituency also took place.

Voting began at 7 a.m. at most polling stations and there was no report from anywhere of any malfunction in electronic voting machines (EVMs), Chauhan said.

Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prem Kumar Dhumal and Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma were among the early voters.

The state's oldest voter, 97-year-old Shyam Saran Negi, and his wife Hira Mani, 91, also exercised their franchise in a picturesque hamlet in Kinnaur district.

The main contenders include Shanta Kumar of the BJP in Kangra and Congress candidate Pratibha Singh in Mandi. Incumbent BJP MPs from Hamirpur and Shimla, Anurag Singh Thakur and Virender Kashyap, are re-contesting from their respective constituencies.

In 2009, the BJP bagged three seats, while Congress leader Virbhadra Singh won the Mandi seat.

Virbhadra Singh surrendered his seat in 2012 when he became chief minister and his wife Pratibha Singh was elected as an MP in the by-poll.

Over 4.8 million electors are eligible to vote in 7,382 polling stations.

In 2009, Himachal Pradesh saw 58.43 percent polling, while in the 2012 assembly polls, the state saw a record turnout of 73.51 percent.