CM Dhami among first to cast vote as Uttarakhand goes to polls

PTI

Dehradun, April 19

Nearly 11 per cent polling was recorded in the early hours of voting for Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand on Friday, poll officials here said.

Polling began at 7 am and by 9 am 10.54 per cent of voters had cast their vote, Haridwar has recorded the highest 12.49 per cent of polling so far followed by Tehri Garhwal with 10.23 per cent, Almora 10.13 per cent, Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar 9.83 and Pauri garhwal with 9.46 per cent, they said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was among the first to cast his vote.

Dhami along with his mother and wife Geeta arrived at Nagra Terai polling station in Khatima and stood in a queue to cast his vote.

Talking to reporters, the chief minister noted that there is great enthusiasm among people.

"Over the last ten years Uttarakhand has seen unprecedented development. People of all sections have benefited from it. They will vote to give a third term to Narendra Modi," Dhami said.

He also spoke of the BJP's Sankalp Patra which talks about the need of a UCC on the lines of the one passed by the Uttarakhand Asssembly for the entire country.

"The Ganga of UCC which has originated from Uttarakhand will flow throughout the country," he said.

Former chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who is the BJP candidate from Haridwar, also cast his vote along with his wife and two daughters and said he was confident of winning the seat by more than five lakh votes.

Among others who caste their vote are yoga guru Ramdev and his aide Acharya Balkrishna.

The duo cast their votes at Dadubagh polling station in Kankhal area of the pilgrimage town at around 10 am.

They stood in queue along with other voters waiting for their turn.

After casting his vote, Ramdev told reporters he has voted for heritage-based development and culture-based prosperity of the country.

"I have voted to free India from economic, educational, medical and cultural slavery," he said.

He also appealed to people to come out of their homes and exercise their right to vote to strengthen democracy.

BJP national spokesman and Pauri Garhwal candidate Anil Baluni also cast his vote.

The five seats going to polls in Uttarakhand are Haridwar, Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Nainital-Udham Singh Nagar and the lone reserved seat of Almora.

More than 83 lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of 55 candidates in the fray.

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