Booth managers look to improve turnout

Uttarakhand has always witnessed moderate polling with 65.56 per cent in Haridwar in 1977 being the highest for any seat. The lowest turnout recorded in the state was at Almora in 1957 - only 24 per cent voted, reports Utpal Parashar.

Updated on: May 13, 2009, 01:49:49 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Dehradun

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The time for campaigning and claims and counter claims has passed. Star campaigners including Congress' Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, BJP's L.K. Advani and Narendra Modi, BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party boss Mulayam Singh Yadav have addressed their rallies and gone. Now, it's over to the state's 57.31 lakh voters.

The parties have shifted their focus to the polling booths 'managers' to ensure that voters turn out in large numbers and cast their ballot in the 9,000-plus booths across the state, said BJP's state media advisory committee chairman Devendra Bhasin.

With the weather predicted to be pleasant, polling percentage is expected to be higher than in the 2004 election, when the average polling percentage was 48 per cent. "There were light showers in several parts of the state on Sunday and Monday. But the weather is likely to remain clear on the day of polling," said Anand Kumar Sharma, director of state meteorological office.

Uttarakhand has always witnessed moderate polling with 65.56 per cent in Haridwar in 1977 being the highest for any seat. The lowest turnout recorded in the state was at Almora in 1957 - only 24 per cent voted.

The high profile candidates in the fray are Congress' Harish Rawat (Haridwar), Vijay Bahuguna (Tehri) and Satpal Maharaj (Pauri) and BJP's Bacchi Singh Rawat (Nainital) and Jaspal Rana (Tehri).

While Bahuguna is aiming to retain his seat, Rawat and Maharaj with several earlier losses are hoping to resurrect their political careers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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