The second phase of Uttarakhand’s three-tier Panchayat elections saw a remarkable 70% voter turnout on Monday, surpassing the 68% recorded in the first phase. Despite rainfall in several hill districts, voters turned out in large numbers across 40 development blocks, with a total of 4,709 polling stations witnessing active participation.
According to data released by the State Election Commission, 65.50% of male and 74.50% of female voters cast their votes in this phase. A total of 21.57 lakh voters were registered for this round. Notably, districts like Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar also reported high voter engagement alongside the hilly regions.
The voting began at 8 AM and remained peaceful throughout the day. Crowds were seen at many polling booths despite the weather. State Election Commissioner Sushil Kumar confirmed that polling concluded without major incidents.
The fate of 14,751 candidates in the second phase, along with 17,829 from the first phase, is now sealed. Counting of votes for both phases is scheduled to begin at 8 AM on July 31. Compared to the 69.59% turnout in the 2019 elections, this year’s overall percentage may slightly dip, though enthusiasm among voters remained high.
