Uttarakhand polls: High turnout in key seats worries BJP

New Delhi: Even though the BJP’s poll strategists are confident of the saffron party coming back to power in Uttarakhand, high voting percentage registered in some of key Assembly constituencies is also a cause of concern to them. Polling on 69 Assembly seats in the hill state took place on Wednesday and the state registered a total voting percentage of 68 per cent, marginally higher than the last elections, 66.6 per cent. However, high voting percentage on seats including Sitarganj, Khatima and Haridwar (rural) has left the BJP worried. These seats were won by the BJP last time and higher voting percentage is attributed to anti-incumbency.

From Sitarganj, the BJP had fielded Congress rebel and former chief minister, Vijay Bahuguna’s son Saurabh Bahuguna. This seat was won by the BJP in 2012 but its MLA, Kiron Mandal, vacated it for Mr Bahuguna. Mr Bahuguna had joined the BJP in May last year.  

CM Harish Rawat is contesting from the two other constituencies — Haridwar(rural) and Khatima, earlier represented by the BJP. In all these three key constituencies, voting percentage crossed 60 per cent. In Dehradun, Mr Rawat has claimed the Congress will perform even better than expected. State unit chief Kishore Upadhyay also said the Congress will make a strong comeback by winning 46 seats. He said Mr Rawat played the role of “Arjuna” in the polls. Before the polls, they both were leading two separate camps.