Uttarakhand votes today: 81 Lakh voters, 632 candidates, 70 seats
Categories: Election 2022
People of Uttarakhand will vote today to choose their next government for the next five years. As many as 632 candidates are in fray for 70 seats spread across 13 districts. A total of 81 lakh eligible voters are expected to cast their votes. The state has always seen a bipolar contest between the BJP and the Congress. However, the entry of Aam Aadmi Party has changed the scenario a bit at a few places. The campaign in the state came to an end on Saturday evening. It will be the fifth assembly election to be held in Uttarakhand after its creation in 2000. Election arrangements - There are a total of 81,72,173 voters in the state and 11,697 polling booths spread over 8,624 locations, said Chief Electoral Officer Saujanya, who does not use a surname. - For the first time 101 all-women polling booths named 'Sakhi' polling booths have been set up in the state. All polling officials at these booths will be women, she said, adding this has been done to encourage women's participation in the polling process. - Similarly, six polling booths to be manned by persons with disabilities have also been set up, she said. The presiding officers and polling personnel at such booths will be differently abled. - Polling will begin at 8 am and conclude at 6 pm. Top candidates BJP: Important candidates whose fate is to be decided in these polls include Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, his cabinet colleagues Satpal Maharaj, Subodh Uniyal, Arvind Pandey, Dhan Singh Rawat and Rekha Arya besides state BJP president Madan Kaushik. Congress: Prominent faces from the Congress in the fray include former chief minister Harish Rawat, former minister Yashpal Arya, state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal and Leader of Opposition in the fourth assembly Pritam Singh.