He further emphasized, “Election Commission voter lists corroborate these facts. Voter numbers have increased much more rapidly in the plain districts compared to the hills.”This demographic trend is reportedly a major concern for political figures deemed influential in the hill state’s interests. “This migration pattern raises serious questions about political representation and the future voice of the hill regions,” remarked Jai Singh Rawat, a historian and analyst on the subject, while speaking to TNIE.According to official sources, “In 2018, the Migration Commission reported that over five lakh people had migrated from Uttarakhand. Of these, more than three lakh people had temporarily left their homes in search of work or due to a lack of basic facilities.” Official sources added, “Since then, the state government has been undertaking measures to curb migration and promote reverse migration.”According to the Election Commission’s records, the first assembly elections in 2002 saw a total of 5,270,375 voters. Of these, a majority, numbering 3,779,523, resided in the four plains districts of Dehradun, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, and Haridwar. This constituted 52.7 percent of the total electorate. In contrast, the nine hill districts accounted for 2,490,852 voters, or 47.3 percent of the total. At the time, the difference in voter share between the plains and hill districts was a marginal 5.4 percent.
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