Booths in snowbound areas record high polling

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, February 19

While the polling percentage has come down in Uttarkashi district, it has increased in the areas in the Gangotri, Yamunotri and Purola constituencies that received fresh snowfall on the voting day on February 15.

The booths that were expected to record less voting percentage due to heavy to moderate snowfall have seen a bumper voting percentage that has risen to 95.96 per cent.

The polling booths, namely Beef, Paunti, Badiyar, Sarnaul, Chaptadi, Rana, Kursil, Kharsali, Kupda in Yamunotri assembly segment saw 95 per cent polling despite heavy to moderate snowfall on

February 15. The polling booths at Jivanu, Dvejani, Liwadi Rala, Jakhol, Sunkundi, Bhintri, Masri etc were snowbound but the biting cold could not dampen the spirit of voters who turned up in large numbers to vote in the Purola Assembly constituency that recorded 84 per cent polling. Similarly, the polling booths at Harsil, Bagori, Jhala, Silla and Pillang in the Gangotri Assembly segment saw 90 per cent voting while the booth at Jadauv village saw 94.59 per cent polling. The enthusiasm shown by villagers of difficult areas has led to a rise in the voting percentage.

The booths established at a village bordering China also saw 50 per cent polling. Uttarkashi District Magistrate DR Ashish Shrivastava attributes the high polling in these areas to successful voters’ awareness programme organised under the Sveep and Matdata Didi campaign and special transportation arrangements made for them by the district administration.

Women voters in particular were encouraged and provided extra convenience so that they could vote easily. The District Magistrate said the exercise to allow two women after a man to vote led to increase in number of voters in several booths in the rural areas, besides in snowbound booths in the district..

Some migratory population, namely from Bhotia and Jad tribes who come down to Dunda village during the winter, voted in a large number even though they had to travel 90 km by road and several kilometres on foot to reach the polling booth.

On the other hand, several polling booths in urban areas saw dismal voting percentage. The booth at the Purola Government Inter College saw only 38 per cent of voting while only 36 per cent polling was recorded at Nepad in the Gangotri Assembly segment. The polling percentage in the 2012 elections was around 72.99 per cent but this time it was a shade less around 69 per cent in the district, which could rise on March 11 when postal ballots would be counted, said the District Magistrate.