Express News Service
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand recorded 59.37% voting on Monday for 70 state assembly constituencies till 5pm. The polling percentage was 5.43% lesser than last assembly elections in year 2017. In last state assembly elections total voting percentage in the state stood 64.80% till 5pm.
Polling started in Uttarakhand at 8am and conclude at 6pm. The polling day in the hill state relatives remained peaceful barring minor scuffles in Haridwar and Nainital districts.
Sowjanya, Chief Electoral Officer of Uttarakhand said, “The polling has concluded in Uttarakhand and we are consolidating the data for final figures of voting across 70 state assembly constituencies. Total 203 FURs have been registered. The EVMs have been secured in the string rooms with multiple layers of security along with armed forces, police, CCTVs and many other arrangements to ensure fool proof security.”
The voting in the hill state took place in 70 state assembly constituencies across 13 districts. Total number of voters for the fifth assembly election in Uttarakhand stands 82.66 lakhs.
Polling teams braving cold weather and tough terrain in Uttarakhand performed duties to ensure smooth voting at 11,647 booths across the hill state.
Highest voting percentage was recorded in Haridwar with 67.58% followed by Uttarkashi (65.55%), Udham Singh Nagar (65.13%), Nainital (63.12%), Rudraprayag (60.36%), Chamoli (59.28%), Bageshwar (57.83%), Pithoragarh (57.49%), Champawat (56.97%), Dehradun (52.93%), Tehri (52.66%), Pauri (51.93%) and Almora (50.65%).
The constituencies which witnessed highest polling percentage include Sitarganj with 73.50% followed by Khanpur (73.32%), Jawalapur (73.36%), Haridwar Rural (72.25%) and Bhagwanpur (71.20%).
Voting day in Uttarakhand was full of myriad colors of life including people walking kilometres to exercise their democratic rights, people carrying the elderly and specially abled ones on their backs, palanquins and wheelchairs and first time voters.
Among total 11647 booths, there were the ones located on plains while many on the hills. The highest polling booth was at the altitude of 10,870 feet for 138 voters in Gangotri state assembly constituency.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was accused by the opposition of violating the model code of conduct as he carried scarf with the Bhartiya Janta Party symbol lotus.
Indian National Congress leader and state executive members of the party Nitin Gola clicked a picture while voting and uploaded on his social media account following which a case was registered against him.
All the political parties claimed that the people have voted for them. Harish Rawat, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader said, “The Congress is going to win mor Ethan 48 seats. The people have voted for change and the BJP has been punished for the sins the party committed against the people of Uttarakhand.”
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami claiming that the BJP is going to form the government again said, “The people have approved of us. We will see that on the result day.”
Col (Retd) Ajay Kothiyal said, “The Congress and the BJP have limited that state and they will be punished by the people of Uttarakhand for that.”
