"Participate with enthusiasm and create new records': PM Modi sends out special message for Himachal voters on polling day

Minutes before polling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appeal to voters to "participate with full enthusiasm in this festival of democracy and create a new record of voting". "Today is the polling day for all the assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh. I request all the voters of Devbhoomi to participate with full enthusiasm in this festival of democracy and create a new record of voting. My special wishes to all the youth of the state who voted for the first time on this occasion.

Himachal Pradesh is all set to vote to elect a new government in the assembly polls, the fate of the political parties will be decided by over 55 lakh voters today. The BJP is eying on retaining power in the state overturning the trend of an alternative government in the state since 1982, while the Congress is posing its faith in its '10 guarantees' that the party has promised to deliver on if it comes to power. The Aam Aadmi Party is also aiming at making inroads into the hill state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led the campaign from the front, wrapping up his campaign with a personal appeal to voters of the state, where he said every vote cast for the BJP symbol "lotus" will enhance his strength.The election is a matter for survival for the Congress, which has been on a downhill electorally since the last two election cycles.