Uttarakhand turnout a record 68%; some villages boycott

DEHRADUN: A record 68% of voters exercised their franchise in Uttarakhand on Wednesday.
The Election Commission believes the figure could touch 70% when over a lakh voters who were in queues at 5 pm are counted. Many villagers in the Garhwal and Kumaon hills who had threatened to boycott the polls in order to “teach politicians a lesson” kept their promise as zero to minimal turnout was recorded in several booths in rural areas.

Over 600 villagers of Gangolihat constituency in Pithoragarh who were demanding a road refrained from voting. It was a similar scene in Kweerijimia village of Dharchula where only four votes were cast till 3 pm.
Of the main seats, Nainital registered 70%, Haridwar 70% and Uttarkashi 73%. Polling in 69 of the 70 seats in the hill state was peaceful. Chief electoral officer Radha Raturi said, “This is the highest polling in the state and a major achievement. There were no complaints and no repolling has been ordered.”