Tharali goes to the polls today

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 27

The Tharali (SC) Assembly constituency in Chamoli district will go to bypoll on Monday when 1,02,569 voters will decide the fate of five candidate. In all five candidates are in the fray with the main contest likely to between the Congress and the BJP.

The BJP has fielded Munni Devi Shah and the Congress has named Dr Jeet Ram as its party candidate. While Kunwar Ram will be fighting the elections on the party ticket of the CPM, Kasbi Lal Shah on the UKD party ticket and Beeri Ram as an independent.

The Tharali Assembly seat fell vacant after the demise of Magan Lal Shah, who won the seat in 2017 on the BJP ticket. The counting of votes will take place on May 30.

The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for the bypoll. Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines would be in use for the first time in all the polling booths. So also the Electronic Transmission of Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) that too would be extensively used for the first time in the state for the service voters. 

In the Assembly elections of 2017, these ballots were used on experimental basis in Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar city Assembly constituencies.

“The Election commission has sent 3,277 electronically transmissible postal ballot to service voters for Tharali Assembly by-elections,” said Soujanya, Chief Electoral Officer.

In all there are 178 polling stations and the Tharali Assembly constituency has been divided into five zones and 39 sectors. A total of 24 polling stations are in remote area of Tharali. According the chief electoral office, Gwaldam has the maximum number of electors at 1,116 and Kera has minimum number of electors at 144. Kanol is situated at an altitude of 8,456 feet. There are a total of 99,292 general voters and 3,277 service voters.

The security has been beefed up in the area ahead of the election. 

The candidates in fray

• The BJP is banking on the sympathy factor that they feel would benefit Munni Devi, who is the widow of Magan Lak Shah. Chief Minister had held several election meetings and rallies along with his Cabinet colleagues to shore up support for Munni Devi 
• For the first time all the factions within the Congress came together to canvas support for Dr Jeet Ram 
• Kunwar Ram will be fighting on the party ticket of the CPM
• Kasbi Lal Shah is the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) candidate
• Beeri Ram is fighting as an independent

Kera has least voters 

• 178 polling booths have been set up across the constituency for the polling 
• Gwaldum polling booth has highest 1,116 voters 
• Kera polling booth has lowest 144 voters 
• Kanol polling booth in the constituency is located at maximum height of 8,456 ft above sea level 
• Polling parties had to travel on foot a distance of as much as 12 km to reach the polling booth