Rudraprayag: Voting in the Kedarnath by-poll held on Wednesday was less as compared to the 2022 general assembly elections in the state. 57.64 percent votes were cast in the by-election, while 66.43 percent voting took place in the 2022 assembly elections.
Kedarnath assembly by-election was conducted peacefully under the leadership of Chief Electoral Officer Dr. BVRCC Purushottam. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Vijay Kumar Jogdande said, 57.64 percent voting has taken place till 6 pm. He congratulated all the officers and employees for voting.
57.64% turnout in Kedarnath, 8.8% drop from last assembly elections
The total voting percentage recorded in Kedarnath by-poll was 57.64 which is 8.8 percent less than voter turnout seen in last assembly polls with 66.43 percent voter presence. Interestingly, women voters in Kedarnath outnumber male voters. Of the 90,875 voters in the constituency, 45,956 are women and 44,919 are men. For smooth polling, a total of 173 polling booths were set up in the constituency and 130 of them equipped with CCTV cameras.
‘Bulawa toli’ volunteers assisted the elderly and infirm
During the polling process, the booths were monitored by the district and chief election officers’ offices, as well as the Election Commission, through webcasting, according to CEO Purushottam. At many booths, ‘bulawa toli’ volunteers assisted the elderly and infirm. It was common to see elderly women being helped up the steps at polling booths by female ‘bulawa toli’ volunteers in Agastyamuni and Rudraprayag.
Kedarnath seat was lying vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat
The Kedarnath seat in Rudraprayag district became vacant following the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July. The ruling BJP is now engaged in a prestige battle in Kedarnath after losing in another significant Hindu pilgrimage town, Badrinath, in the July by-polls. In the Uttarakhand Assembly, the BJP holds 47 seats, the Congress has 20 seats, the BSP has one seat, and Independents hold two seats.
Direct contest between BJP’s Asha Nautiyal and Congress’s Manoj Rawat
There are six candidates contesting, with a direct competition between BJP’s Asha Nautiyal and Congress’s Manoj Rawat. Both have previously represented the seat in the state Assembly—Nautiyal in 2002 and 2007, and Rawat, a journalist-turned-politician, narrowly won in 2017 by defeating independent candidate Kuldip Singh Rawat by over 850 votes. The other four candidates are Uttarakhand Kranti Dal’s Ashutosh Bhandari, People’s Party of India’s Pradeep Roshan Rudia, and independents Tribhuvan Singh and RP Singh.
Peaceful voting
Peaceful voting occurred at all polling booths during the Kedarnath assembly by-poll, with no untoward incidents reported. Polling parties have begun returning from the stations. On Thursday morning, after receiving permission from the commission, seven polling parties will arrive at the Agastyamuni counting center around 9-10 am.
