Clear weather, coupled with increased participation of the youth, helped Uttarakhand resgister a record 70 per cent turnout in Uttarakhand for the third elections on Monday in the hill state which has a 63 lakh-plus electorate and 70 assembly seats. The voting percentage shows a sizeable jump, as the corresponding figure for the 2007 polls was 60.
The polling was by and large peaceful. There were reports of violence, but they minor and stray, thanks to strict arrangements the election commission had made by heavily deploying security forces. The polling began on a dull note, and picked up momentum in the afternoon. Some booths registered a polling percentage of nearly 80. “We are glad about the smooth progress of the voting. The voting percentage is healthy,” said Radha Raturi, state chief electoral officer. Long queues were seen at several places, with both the young and the old waiting in long queues to cast votes.
The elections, which expected to be a close contest between the ruling BJP and Congress, will decide the fate of top state leaders including chief minister B C Khanduri from Kotdwar, former chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (Doiwala), leader of the opposition Harak Singh Rawat (Rudraprayag) and Pradesh Congress Committee chief Yashpal Arya (Baajpur).
A total of 788 candidates are trying their luck with main contenders BJP and Congress contesting all the 70 seats. A total of 75 companies of central paramilitary force, besides 10,000 home guards from Uttar Pradesh, 2000 home guards from Himachal Pradesh and 10,000 personnel from Uttarakhand police were deployed on the election day.