Dehradun: Campaigning for the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections will come to an end at 5 pm today. A total 5405 candidates are trying their luck for various posts in the 100 local bodies across the state in this election.
The fate of 72 candidates for the mayoral post in 11 Municipal Corporations and 445 candidates for the post of chairman of municipalities and Nagar Panchayat will be decided on January 23. After the end of the campaigning, the candidates will be allowed for only door-to-door campaigning. The counting of votes will take place on January 25.
Deployment of 16284 personnel and 25,800 security personnel
The ULB elections will be held at 1515 polling centers and 3394 polling booths across the state on January 23. The first phase of the training programs for polling personnel has been completed. 16284 polling personnel and 25,800 security-men will be deployed in the ULB polls.
Control room to function on polling day
A control room has also been set up to ensure peaceful polling. The number of highly sensitive polling booths is 1043. 419 polling centers have been put under the category of sensitive. The administration has arranged 846 light vehicles and 522 heavy vehicles for the movement of polling parties in different parts of the state.
Dehradun has highest number of voters
While Dehradun district has the highest number of 9.98 voters, the lowest number of voters 182037 is in the hill district of Rudraprayag. The bordering Pithoragarh is the only district which has more female voters (30992) than male (30468) in the state. The total number of female voters in the state is 14,66, 151. The total number of male voters in the state is 15,62, 349.
Politically significant for BJP and Congress
The ULB elections are politically significant for both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. While the BJP wants to continue its political grip at the ground level through ULB polls, this is an opportunity for the opposition Congress to revive its old base in the urban areas. The congress has kept its eye on the urban voters through ULB polls. Top leaders from both the camps- the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress- have been aggressively campaigning in the ULB polls.
