Haridwar, US Nagar can change poll arithmetic
Two districts account for 20 of the state’s total 70 assembly constituencies
HARIDWAR/RUDRAPUR: High voting percentage in Haridwar and US Nagar districts - both accounting for 20 of the state’s total 70 assembly constituencies – during the February 14 assembly election can change poll arithmetic in the state.
Haridwar, with 11 assembly seats, has reported 74.77 % voting percentage - the highest among 13 districts in the state, while US Nagar, with 9 seats, reported second highest voting percentage of 72.27%.
Various factors are being related to the district registering the highest polling percentage. Female voters polling percentage stood at 73.64% while of male voters polling percentage was registered 75.02%. Number of total voters, who exercised their voting rights stood at 1061,868, including 25 transgender and 5,748 postal ballot voters.
As Haridwar district has largest 11 assembly segments and 1420,182 voters, political analysts attribute these two factors as major reason along with minority and Dalit voters coming out in large number to cast their votes. Also, road and transport connectivity in the district is much better in comparison to other districts barring US Nagar.
Voting awareness drives like SVEEP (systematic voter educational electoral participation) carried out by the election commission and district administration also contributed to some extent. Though this time, poll percentage of 74.77% lags behind in comparison to previous assembly polls 75.69% in 2017.
Haridwar rural segment resulted in the highest polling with 81.94% in the Haridwar district. Minority population dominated segments witnessed good percentage poll out which include Piran Kaliyar (77.44%), Bhagwanpur (79.93%), Khanpur (76.85%), Manglaur (75.95%), Laksar 79.51%), Jhabreda (78.42%), Jwalapur (79.35%) and Roorkee (63.10%).
In the backdrop of Dharma Sansad controversy, polling in Haridwar district assumes significance, though in the last election Haridwar had polled 75.69%. So, it can’t be said that Hindu-Muslim polarisation or impact of Dharma Sansad controversy can be the major factor. It could have played a very minor or insignificant role.
Akhada Parishad president Mahant Ravindrapuri termed the polling turnout as people of Haridwar being aware and responsible citizens. He said seers came out to vote in large number but their priority was development, migration, unemployment and promotion of religious-spiritual-pilgrimage places.
Activist Naeem Qureshi from Jwalapur said while Dharma Sansad had created a pan-India row, in Haridwar it was not much issue as only a segment of seers had participated while Akhada Parishad, the apex body of all the 13 Akhadas, was not organiser not associated with the convention seers.
“Polling has always been high in Haridwar district as transportation connectivity to polling centres is quite better owing to it being a totally plain segment. Minority voters should not only be labelled as vote bank, they vote for diversified political parties and in name of development,” said Qureshi.
Incumbent Congress legislator Qazi Nizamuddin expressed happiness over good voter turnout terming it as indication of change in political regime in the state and inclination of voters towards the Congress which created almost a wave during the election campaign.
Bahujan Samaj Party’s Manglaur candidate and former legislator Sarvat Karim Ansari attributed the high voter turnout to anti-incumbency as well as voters being fed up with the BJP.
BJP legislator Suresh Rathore said: “It is not that only minority or Dalits have come out in large numbers, voters of all community and religion cast vote for development. People voted last time in the name of development and this time they voted to continue getting benefits of the BJP’s double engine government.”
Anoop Nautiyal of Dehradunbased Social Development Studies lauded voters of Haridwar for getting the highest polling percentage in the state.
“In 2017, US Nagar recorded the highest polling with 76.26% and Haridwar had come second while this time it claimed first position. Political involvement among local voters seems quite high which is a good indication for democracy. But when we assess further of all segments, in semi-urban/rural areas voting percentage is quite high. This also may be due to multi- party contest in this category segments like Congress, BJP, BSP, SP, Azad Samaj Party, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal contestants in direct fight. Thus all these parties press voters to come out from their households to polling stations resulting in good turnout,” said Nautiyal.
Academician Shweta Diwan said while in rural areas good turnout was visible in so-called urban and educational hubs such as Haridwar City and Roorkee, polling percentage was below 65% which itself speaks lack of voting awareness among urban voters.
The Congress candidate from Haridwar rural, Anupama Rawat, said: “I have taken feedback from polling booth agents and party workers, who are buoyed by the highest polling percentage in Haridwar rural. During the campaign, I had also appealed to voters to cast their votes. Monday’s polling witnessed senior citizens and women coming out to vote in large numbers in rural areas.”
In US Nagar district, Muslim and Bengali community-dominated areas recorded high polling percentage.
“Muslim and Bengali communities always take part in voting in every election. Voters of these communities line up very beginning in the morning and can be seen till the end of the day. Gadarpur and Sitarganj constituencies have good population of both communities, so the higher poll percentage,” said Uttam Datta, a senior BJP leader.
Comparative lower polling percentage in the district made an impact on all nine constituencies in US Nagar. As per data issued by the state election commission, maximum poll percentage was recorded in Sitarganj constituency where 78.64% voters took part in the voting process but it was less than the last election. In 2017, Sitarganj recorded 81.25%.
In Jaspur, 74.39% voters exercised their franchise while 79.03% voters took part in polling in 2017. Kashipur recorded 64.26% polling and in 2017, it witnessed 69.63% voting. Kashipur recorded the lowest turnout in the district.
Bazpur constituency witnessed 72.04% votes while 76.41% voters took part in the polling process in 2017 which was 4.37% higher than this year. In Gadarpur, 75.64% voters cast their vote. In Rudrapur, 68.24% voters took part in the voting. Kichha recorded 71.66% polling while Nanakmatta witnessed 74.16% polling. Khatima, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s turf, witnessed 76.63% polling. It had recorded 77.50% voting in the last election.
US Nagar is rich with regard to agriculture and industries rather than other districts of the state so people from every corner of the country reside and work here and cast votes with their own interests. Pradeep Futela, an activist from Gadarpur, said: “Polling percentage in US Nagar is always high as several communities live here. They have their own interests and enthusiastically take part in polling process.”