HimVani
Shimla: The state police has started a drive to register domestic helpers, contract laborers and daily wagers to control violence, particularly in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha by-poll for the Hamirpur constituency. The very idea of relating poll-related violence to hapless underemployed and unemployed people appears absurd, but the police believe the drive would [...]

By: Srinivasan Ramani (With special arrangement)
(Editorial written for Economic & Political Weekly)
Since the creation of Himachal Pradesh in 1971, assembly elections in the state have usually followed the pattern of removal of incumbent governments from power. The recent elections conformed to the trend with the main opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), winning a comfortable [...]

By: Prem R Bhardwaj*
Special arrangement with and Courtesy: Economic and Political Weekly
A web of factors such as intra-party dissidence, anti-incumbency linked to poor performance and a better organised Bharatiya Janata Party were responsible for the Congress’ defeat in the recently concluded assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh. This election also proved that the political party [...]

HimVani
Shimla: The historic Ridge Maidan was witness to another landmark event on Sunday as Prem Kumar Dhumal took oath as the 16th chief minister of Himachal Pradesh after Bharatiya Janata Party registered its most comprehensive victory in the state assembly elections ever.
Swarmed by a huge crowd of BJP supporters, the Ridge, in a way, reflected [...]

By: V Dogra
“Aur phir kisko jitaa rahe ho?” – This was the question, which everyone was asking till yesterday. “Aur phir jitaa diya?” – This is what anyone - a friend or an acquaintance who met me on the Mall, Shimla, was asking today. Barely three months down the line, the question on the [...]

By: Vividhaditya
New Delhi: The Himachal electorate has thrown the ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms) Report - ‘Himachal Pradesh Election Watch’ (HPEW) - to the wind and have voted for 21 of the 50 candidates that have criminal cases pending against them.
Of the 21 candidates, 19 belong to BJP and two to Congress and one as [...]

HimVani
Shimla: Some good news for the disabled and disability rights activists. After sincere efforts of Society for Disability and Rehabilitation Studies (SDRS), HP Chapter, the three major political parties of Himachal Pradesh - BJP, Congress and CPM included disability issues in their election manifesto for assembly elections - 2007. This small event has created a [...]

HimVani
Shimla: The weather gods were at their jovial best on Wednesday as voters in Himachal Pradesh sealed the fate of 324 candidates aspiring to be members of the next Vidhan Sabha. Compared to 74.5 per cent voter turnout during the last assembly elections, about 67 per cent electorate exercised their franchise this time.

Scenes of polling [...]

HimVani
Shimla: Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Anand Sharma had to face some embarrassment when he was refused to cast his vote at a polling booth in Shimla this morning, as he was not carrying his voter identity card or any other proof of identity.
However, the matter was sorted out later as he [...]

By: Varun
In a recent notification, Election Commission has announced that all electors in 65 Assembly constituencies, who have not been issued Electors Photo Identity Cards will be able to cast their vote by providing alternative identity proof such as
1. Passports,
2. Driving Licences,
3. Income Tax Identity ( PAN ) Cards,
4. Service Identity Cards issued to its [...]