DEHRADUN: In a decade, Uttarakhand has registered an unprecedented 30% increase in voter count, triggering debates on ‘demographic change’ and hill areas losing their political importance to the plains.
Dehradun-based political analyst Jai Singh Rawat attributed the rise in the number of voters to migration. “People are leaving the hills for plains in search of jobs and better life. This has also caused a political shift to the plains at the cost of hills.”
In the 2012 assembly elections, there were 63,77,330 voters in the hill state. Between then and this year’s state polls, a rise of 18,89,314 voters has been registered. The highest increase is seen in the plains -- Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Nainital and Haridwar.
Anoop Nautiyal, whose Social Development for Communities conducted the study, said: “The increase in voters is unprecedented and requires further analysis to ascertain what is happening. Migration from the hill is one of the major factors, of course.”
In 36 assembly seats of four plain districts, the rise in voter count has been 37% with the highest in Udham Singh Nagar district with 43%.
Around 20% increase has been registered in 34 seats in the nine hill districts in 10 years. The lowest increase of 13% is registered in Almora.
Dharampur in Dehradun district is the biggest constituency in Uttarakhand with 2,07,718 voters which has had the highest 72% increase in its voter numbers in a decade.
The top 10 constituencies that have had the largest increase in voter percentages are all in the four plain districts whereas the bottom 10 constituencies with the least voter increase are all in nine hill districts. Around 61% of all voters in Uttarakhand are in 36 seats in the four plain districts whereas the balance 40% voters are in 34 seats in the nine hill districts.