Himachal Pradesh polls: Nearly 55 per cent votes cast by two pm

Voting began at eight am and will conclude at five pm on Thrusday.

Kinnaur has recorded its highest voting percentage at 35 percent by 12pm, Indian Express reported.

In the Thursday election, 50,25,941 voters are eligible to cast their vote.

As many as 7,525 polling booths have been set up in the state and 37,605 polling personnel have been deputed for poll duty, according to media reports.

17,850 police personnel and Home Guards, as well as 65 companies of central paramilitary force have also been deployed, media reported.

he poll is witnessing heavyweights from both the BJP and the Congress battle it out for supremacy in the state.

Six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, 83, a prime Congress contestant, is the oldest candidate; his 27-year-old son Vikramaditya has also made his poll debut.

The octogenarian is likely to retain his position if his party is elected to power.

The junior Singh has been handed Simla (Rural), which originally belonged to his father, to battle it out against BJP's Pramod Sharma, a Virbhadra protege.

Two-time former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, BJP's chief ministerial candidate is contesting from Sujanpur.

The 73-year-old is pitted against Congress' Rajinder Rana, who is in his home turf and has already won the 2012 elections from the same seat.

Party-wise, both BJP and Congress, have fielded 68 candidates each, while BSP has fielded 42 candidates, followed by CPM with 14.

The CPI, NCP and the SP have fielded 3, 2 and 2 candidates, respectively.

The independent candidate count is 112.