Shimla: Additional Chief Electoral Officer Rupali Thakur said here today that total 1562 e-Postal ballots have been generated and uploaded successfully on Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) for all service voters registered in Dharamshala and Pachhad Assembly Constituencies (ACs).

Additional Chief Electoral Officer said that in Dharamshala Assembly Constituency, the total number of service voters was 984 out of which 927 were male and 57 female. Similarly, Pachhad Assembly Constituency has total 578 service voters, which include 568 male and 10 female voters.

With the uploading of these e-Postal ballots, service voters can cast their vote electronically from the place of their posting, outside the constituency. The secrecy is maintained through use of OTP and PIN and no duplication of ETPB is possible due to the unique QR code printed on each e-Postal ballot, she added.

Assembly By-Election for Dharamshala and Pachhad segments is to be held on 21 October. These seats were fall vacant after Suresh Kumar and Kishen Kapoor were elected for the Parliament. Indian National Congress has fielded Gangu Ram Musafir from Pachhad segment Vijay Inder Karan is contesting from Dharamshala constituency on Congress ticket. BJP has fielded political greenhorns Reena Kashyap and Vishal Nehriya from Pachhad and Dharamshala assembly constituency respectively. BJP rebel Dyal Pyari has also taken plunge as an independent candidate.

Total 12 candidates are in fray from both constituencies, five candidates are from Pachhad (SC) Assembly Constituency and seven candidates are contesting by-election from Dharamshala segment.