HP: Cyclists Embark On Expedition To Boost Voter Awareness

Maneesh Garg, the Chief Electoral Officer of Himachal Pradesh, announced that State Election Icon Jaspreet Pal and his co-cyclist Kshitij Niltu undertook a cycling expedition to Tashigang, the world’s highest polling booth at 15,256 feet, to promote voter awareness for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The expedition concluded at Tashigang late Monday evening.

The duo cycled 630 kilometers over seven days through the challenging terrain of Spiti, passing through Shimla, Theog, Narkanda, Rampur, Jeuri, Bhavanagar, Karcham-Wangtoo, Reckong-Peo, Pooh, Khab, Nako, Sumdo, and Kaza. They also visited the world’s highest motorable village, Kaumik (15,049 feet), via Langza and Hikkim. They reached Tashigang on Monday evening, having crossed Kibber and ridden above 15,000 feet on two consecutive days. During the final leg of the expedition, they gained a total elevation of 12,984 meters. Currently, Tashigang has 62 registered voters (37 men and 25 women).

Local cyclists from Spiti joined them until Rangrik in Kaza. Garg congratulated the riders for their efforts in motivating people, especially first-time voters, to participate in the democratic process from Shimla to Tashigang. Jaspreet Pal and Kshitij distributed ‘invitation cards’ prepared by the State Election Department to thousands of voters at various locations.

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held on June 1, during the seventh and final phase of the general elections, to elect four members of the 18th Lok Sabha. Himachal Pradesh has four Lok Sabha constituencies: Hamirpur, Mandi, Shimla, and Kangra. The BJP won all four seats in 2019. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are taking place in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with counting and results announced on June 4.