THE WESTERN Indian state of Gujarat will have a polling booth for a single voter, while the northern state of Himachal Pradesh will see the world’s highest polling booth being set up during the forthcoming assembly polls.
The hilly state of Himachal Pradesh, which goes to polls on November 4, will also see the country’s oldest surviving voter exercise his franchise in this election.
The one-voter polling station in Gujarat’s Gir forest will be set up in village Sapnesh Biliyat in Junagarh district, where Guru Bharat Das will vote. The CEC said the nearest polling station from the village is 20 kilometres away. The EC will have the one-voter polling station to enable its sole voter to cast his vote.
“Saplesh Bilyat village in Gir forest has only one voter…. the polling station is kept for his sake. It will continue to be a one-voter polling station,” Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said on Wednesday (October 3).
Gujarat goes to polls in two phases on December 13 and 17.
Highest polling station, oldest voter
Himachal Pradesh will have the highest polling station in the world at Hikam in Lahaul Spiti assembly
constituency, which will be at an altitude of 15,000 feet above sea level. There are 333 voters in the polling station.
The country’s oldest voter, 95-year-old Shyam Saran, also belongs to Himachal Pradesh. Saran will cast his vote at Kalpa village in Kinnaur district.
Saran had cast his vote in the area in the country’s first election held in October 1951 and the CEC hoped he will participate in this election too.
