The revised figures of January 30 polling issued by Election Commission on Tuesday has put it at 66.8 per cent. The details released by the poll panel shows diverse voting trends in the State with areas dominated by minorities and Dalits, the BSP strongholds, witnessing as high a turnout as 83 per cent whereas the urban constituencies falling in Dehradun, where Team Anna campaigned intensively, recording a ‘low’ turnout between 60 and 62 per cent.

The other urban centre, Nainital, fared worse, recording a meagre 55 per cent polls. Due to inclement weather, though polling remained low in hill districts, Uttarkashi proved to be an exception, with all the three seats of Gangotri, Yamunotri and Purola averaging above 70 per cent polling.

Haridwar district bordering Uttar Pradesh and having 11 Assembly constituencies recorded the highest voter turnout. In Laksar, Priankaliyar and Khanpur voter turnout was 80 per cent or more than 80 per cent while Manglaur, Haridwar Rural and Bhagwanpur Assembly constituencies reported more than 78 per cent polling and Roorkee Assembly constituency reported only 61 per cent voting.

The voting percentage has created panic among the BSP and Congress, as both are staking claim to the Dalit and Muslim vote banks.

In Uttarakashi district, 72.88 per cent polling was reported with a very 77.48 per cent turnout in Purola SC seat, 71.18 per cent in Yamunotri and 70.55 per cent in Gangotri. In Dehradun district two constituencies Vikasnagar (in Bhabhar area) and Chakrata ST (in the hills) reported 72.46 and 75.6 per cent turnouts, respectively.

There is a myth that whosoever wins Gangotri Assembly seat sees his party forming the government. So vote percentage increases in every Assembly election. In 2007, polling percentage here was 71.69 per cent while this year it was 72.88 per cent.

In Udham Singh Nagar polling percentage reported 76.65 per cent. In which Sitarganj, where BSP MLA Narayanpal contesting, and Gadarpur, where former CM ND Tiwari’s nephew Maneesh Tiwari is contesting on the Congress ticket against BJP MLA Arvind Pandey, have reported more than 80 per cent polling. Five constituencies of Khatima, Kichha, Rudrapur, Bazpur and Jaspur reported more than 75 per cent polling while two constituencies Nanakmatta and Kashipur reported 73.45 per cent and 69.43 percent, respectively.

In four hill districts of Kumaon, Pithoragarh (62.28 per cent), Bageshwar(61.09 per cent), Almora (55.5 per cent) and Nainital (60.68 per cent) less than average polling was reported.

Results would be announced after 34 days on March 6, so the people would get enough time to have discussions on the voting trend. The Uttarakhand polls are being billed by many as a watershed in the history of the State as it would test whether anti-incumbency is a factor or not.

Although both major competitors for power are talking of development and only development, the people of the State are the authority on whose development they would go for and which argument they have understood better. Polling percentage in the third Assembly election was reported at 66.89 per cent, which is a mere four per cent higher than Assembly election 2007.

It shows that the State’s residents are getting wiser and politicians will have to work in their constituencies or else they will have to face the music in future.

Voicing optimism, Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri,  said it is a very positive signal. “We feel we will form the government comfortably but again it is for the people to decide,” he said.