The Kedarnath assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand recorded around 57 per cent of voting by 5 pm on Wednesday even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) was yet to announce final figures with a likely margin of 3 per cent increase.
The high-profile political battle at more than 11,000 feet height on the Himalayas is lower than 65 percent in the state 2022 assembly polls.
As the voters in the Kedarnath assembly constituency caste their votes for the second time in less than three years to elect their representative as the seat fell vacant due to passing away of former BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat. Although both main political parties, the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress party, have expressed their confidence of winning the election here, the turnout of voters was down by nearly 9 per cent by 5 pm but the gap was likely to reduce by nearly 3 per cent with the final count of vote share is revealed by the Election Commission of India. The final vote share was still awaited.
The dip polling is being attributed to rising cold in the higher Himalayas and lack of interest among voters in the hill for casting their franchise. However, BJP leaders claimed that low polling would go in their favour as their voters were in the front to exercise their right to vote.
The BJP leaders said the Kedarnath electorates have voted positively for the development in the shrine area. State BJP President Mahindra Bhatt said, “We are getting encouraging feedback from our booth agents and local workers. Kedarghath voters have voted for the development. Kedarnath Dham voters are flag bearers of Sanatan culture. They have again stamped their mandate for cultural nationalist. The people of Kedarnath have expressed their faith in BJP nominees Asha Nautiyal.”
On the other hand, Congress candidate Manoj Rawat and other party leaders claimed that low polling in Kedarnath would go in their favour. “We respect people’s mandate in this byelection. Polling appears little low but it will go in Congress party’s favour as BJP’s cadre voters remained unwilling to come out pf their homes. This mainly for the fact that local public in Kedarnath is not happy with the lack of developmental in the region and Chief minister’s indifferent attitude towards the plight of the unemployed youths in the hills. People in Kedarnath feel that they have been meted out step motherly treatment by the chief minister as latter ignored the interest of Kedarnath as important tourism centre of the state and allowed construction of it’s replica in Delhi,” said Rawat.