Scorching heat cast its effect and around 70 per cent polling reported in the local body polls, which took place on Sunday across the State. Starting on a good speed in the morning, the voting slowed down during noon hours due to boiling sun. The turnout, however, suddenly showed uptrend as sun God lowered his intensity giving a room to the voters to cast their democratic right.
The polling began at 8 am and continued upto 6 pm without any major untoward incident taking place. In Dehradun, polling was recorded around 11 per cent at 10 am. Voters were seen standing in long queue to wait for their turn to exercise franchise at most of the polling booths through the day.
Several voters who had their voter identity card, but could not exercise their franchise because their name were not mentioned in the electoral list. Sahastradhara resident Nidhi who reached Guru Nanak Academy polling booth, Sahastradhara crossing at around 9.30 am had to return without exercising her vote because her name was not found in the elector roll.
Aggrieved Nidhi said that she had exercised her vote in the Aassembly election-2012 but this time her name was missing in the electoral list. Accompanied with his family members, Samajwadi Party State president SN Sachan reached the polling booth but returned home without exercising vote as their names were not in the electoral list. Canvassing of voters at polling booths by the supports of different political parties and independent candidates was witnessed at different booths in the city.
Meanwhile, to conduct this election peacefully, the district election officer BVRC Purushottam had made elaborate police arrangement at polling booths. Adequate police were witnessed at all the polling booths but despite this, several complaints related to violation of model code of conduct was reported in the control room. A complainant said that one of political parties candidate is ferrying voters from their home to polling booths.
Electronic Voting Machine did not function at ward numbers - 26,102 and other places. District Panchayat officer and election master trainer MM Khan said that some reports of non-functional of EVM was reported from some polling booths but were rectified after sending officials there.
At some polling booths in the Patelnagar area and other places, supporters of different political parties had verbal duel with detractors. To bring the situation under control, additional force called in and polling started.
As per the report received from the election control room, in Dehradun, poll was recorded around 55 per cent which included 45.54 per cent in Rajpur polling centre, 51.60 Aryanagar, 55.82 in Karanpur, 63.49 in Clock Tower, 53.99 IN MKP Inter college, 54 in Dhamawala, 53.64 in Race Course, 54.52 in lakhibagh, 56.54 in Niranjanpur, 51.35 in Basant Vihar, 56.54 in Patelnagar, 56 in Ballupur, 65 in Mussoorie and 73.60 in Vikasnagar.