61.50 per cent polling recorded in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, April 13 (IANS) Releasing the final figures, the Election Commission (EC) has stated that 61.50 per cent of the polling was recorded in Uttarakhand in the first phase of election held on Thursday.

The figures were announced by the EC on Friday night.

In an earlier report released on Thursday after the polling got over, the tentative percentage of voters stated by the EC was 57.85 per cent. A total of 78.56 lakh voters were registered in the voters list.

In 2014 election, the polling percentage was 62.15 per cent.

In the final break-up of all the five seats of the state, the EC said Haridwar recorded the highest polling of 68.92 per cent, followed by Nainital's 68.69 per cent.

Nearly 58.30 per cent of the polling was recorded in Tehri, 54.47 per cent in Pauri and 51.82 per cent in Almora. A total 52 candidates had tried their luck in the state where the contest was mainly between arch rivals the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

The keen contest was in Nainital where former Chief Minister and Congress General Secretary Harish Rawat was pitted against BJP state President Ajay Bhatt.

Sitting BJP MP Mala Rajyalaxmi Shah was fighting against PCC President Pritam Singh, BJP National Secretary Tirath Singh Rawat was facing sitting BJP MP BC Khanduri's son Manish Khanduri and BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Textile Ajay Tamta was facing Congress candidate Pradip Tamta, a Rajya Sabha member.