DEHRADUN: In a surprising turn of events, the by-election for the Kedarnath Assembly seat, held on Wednesday, saw a disappointing voter turnout of just 57.64 per cent.
This figure is the lowest recorded in the last six elections over the past 22 years since the formation of the state, shocking both national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress. The Kedarnath Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of Shaila Rani Rawat of the BJP, while Asha Nautiyal of the BJP and Manoj Rawat of the Congress are in the crucial contest in the election.
According to the State Election Commission, "The turnout of 57.64% is indeed concerning, especially when compared to previous elections." The commission noted that voter engagement has significantly declined, with only 54.09% participating in 2002 and a higher 65.28% in the 2022 Assembly elections.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Uttarakhand's Chief Electoral Officer, Dr. B.V.R.C. Purushottam, announced that "the Kedarnath Assembly by-election was conducted peacefully, with a total voter turnout of 57.64 per cent."
He noted that there were 90,875 registered voters in the constituency, which included 45,956 female voters and 44,919 male voters. "Voting took place peacefully at all polling booths, and we received no reports of any untoward incidents," added Dr Purshottam.
Dr Vijay Kumar Jogdande, the Additional Chief Electoral Officer, further informed that, "most polling teams deployed for the election began returning on Wednesday. The polling teams are expected to reach the Augustyamuni counting center by approximately 10 AM on Thursday."
A spokesperson from the State Election Commission stated, "We are closely monitoring the situation and will analyse the reasons behind this decline in voter participation."