Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Uttarakhand sees fewer people out for voting

Bharatiya Janata Party repeated three of its five sitting Members of Parliament, including Mala Rajyalaxmi Shah (Tehri Garhwal) and state BJP president Ajay Bhatt from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar seat.

Low voter turnout for all five Lok Sabha seats in in Uttarakhand marked the first phase of 2019 general elections. Compared to the 2014 elections, when over 61% voted, by 5 pm Thursday, the turnout was 57.85% across Haridwar, Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal and Almora (SC).

Women voters dressed in their traditional attire show their identity cards as they stand in a queue at a polling station to cast their votes during the first phase of the general elections, in Dehradun, Thursday, April 11, 2019. (PTI)

Bharatiya Janata Party repeated three of its five sitting Members of Parliament, including Mala Rajyalaxmi Shah (Tehri Garhwal) and state BJP president Ajay Bhatt from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar seat.

Congress fielded former chief minister Harish Rawat from Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar seat and Manish Khanduri from Pauri Garhwal seat, among others.

BJP won all five seats in 2014.

“The polling percentage though seems less but we are hoping that the final voting percentage would cross 60%. As far as the arrangements by the EC are concerned, we were happy with that,” said BJP state officiating president Naresh Bansal.

State Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana said, “The facilities which were claimed by the Election Commission, were absent in many poling stations which also led to low voting.”