Spiti Valley (Himachal Pradesh), Nov. 13: Residents of Komik Village in the Spiti Valley, that undergoes elections for the State legislature on Wednesday in Himachal Pradesh, are enthusiastic about polls, which are being held when the area is not under snow.

The region remains cut off from the rest of the country for half the year due to heavy snowfall over the high passes.

Local leaders have also welcomed the elections being held before snowfall.

“This is for the first time that elections are going to take place before the snowfall. We hope everything will go smoothly, ” said Viplove, Member of Parliament and State President of Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee.

Situated at a height of 4,275 meters above sea-level, Komik village falls under Lahaul-Spiti constituency. The nearest polling booth of the village, Hikkem is the second highest polling station in India.

Around 22,483 voters-- Lahaul (15,417) and Spiti Valley (7,066)--will cast their votes in Wednesday’s elections.

"This time the voters of Lahaul have options to choose their favourite candidate they should vote for. Earlier the people used to vote only for the winning party. This time we can give our vote to the candidate who can deliver results, " said Ashok Thakur, a local resident.

Lahaul and Spiti happen to be the largest among the 68 Assembly Constituencies in Himachal Pradesh.

The three tribal constituencies of Lahaul and Spiti, Bharmaur and Kinnaur will undergo elections on November 14 while the remaining 65 constituencies will witness the polls on December 19.

Election results are expected to be declared on December 29.

Lahul and Spiti are cut off from the rest of the world by high mountain ranges. The Rohtang Pass, at 3,978 metres, separates Lahul and Spiti from the Kullu Valley.

The climate of Spiti is too cold to support even tundra vegetation, and much of the land is barren and wild. It is a rare phenomenon to see temperatures rising above 20°C during the summer months, even at the lower elevations. (ANI)