Uttarakhand reported a record turnout of 68 per cent for 69 of its 70 Assembly constituencies that went to the polls on Wednesday, surpassing the previous highest of 67.22 per cent recorded during the 2012 polls.
In Uttar Pradesh, the second of the seven-phase Assembly elections saw polling in 67 Assembly constituencies, which logged a voter turnout of 65.5 per cent till 5 pm, when polling ended. The final voter count in both States, where polling was peaceful, is expected to be higher as voters were still waiting in queues for their turn. “In Uttarakhand, the voter turnout can even reach 70 per cent,” Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said.
Authorities seized ₹16.52 crore of cash, liquor worth ₹9 crore, ₹1.16 crore of drugs and narcotics, apart from over 1.9 kg of gold in Uttar Pradesh while in Uttarakhand cash worth ₹3.38 crore and liquor valued at over ₹3.1 crore and drugs and narcotics worth ₹37.23 lakhs was seized.
In Uttarakhand difficult weather was reported at 479 polling booths which were covered with snow. Polling officials were said to have trekked for several days to reach a polling station at 10,000 feet to ensure that the 275 electors are able to cast their ballot.
EC writes to Cab Secy Meanwhile, the Cabinet Secretary has been asked to ensure that pictures of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu are removed from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as amounted to a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The directive follows a complaint to the EC that registration for the PMAY was being done on the government’s website, and that the use of the pictures of the PM and the Minister would be tantamount to promotion of the BJP. “The Commission ...has held that depiction of photographs of PM and Ministers is in violation of MCC and hence shall have to be immediately removed from the official website pmmaymis.gov.in. You are requested to ensure it,” the letter to the Cabinet Secretary states, asking why the removal had not been effected earlier since the MCC has been in force since January 4.