Ex-Uttarakhand CM Nishank confident about BJP winning second consecutive term

Dehradun, Jan.30 (ANI): As voting began across Uttarakhand on Monday, former chief minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, said he was confident about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning a second consecutive term.

Voting began in the 70 assembly constituencies amid tight security across 9,744 polling booths, out of which 1,252 were categorised as hypersensitive and 1,794 as sensitive.

In Uttarakhand, 788 candidates will try their luck from 70 constituencies.

The Election Commission has taken special care to assist the high altitude poll parties, which have already left for the tough hilly regions.

Sleeping bags, snow boots, jackets and other necessary equipments have been provided to these polling parties.

In addition, two choppers have been put on alert to launch rescue operations in case of any emergency.

The forest officials, BRO and PWD personnel were working continuously to ensure that all roads and pathways were cleared of snow in these places to allow voters to reach to the polling booths.

About 75 companies of paramilitary forces, 6000 Home Guards from Uttar Pradesh and 2000 from Himachal Pradesh and 10,000 personnel of the state police have been deployed to ensure free and fair polls.

Political mercury is at a high in the state, where the main fight is between the incumbent BJP and the provincial opposition Congress party.

Among the top contenders are current chief minister B C Khanduri, leader of opposition Harak Singh Rawat.

After casting his vote, Nishank said the BJP would win with a huge margin.

"The atmosphere is good and I can say that the common man is in favour of Bharatiya Janata Party and our candidates will definitely win with huge numbers and we will form the government. We have always appealed to the common man that our party is their party and our government is also their government and they have also seen the results. Whether they are the traders or the backward classes or the minorities or the people of the Nepalese community, people from every community and caste feel that this is their government; even the youth, females, children and senior citizens connect to us. So, our government will win with huge numbers," said Nishank.

Meanwhile voters said they wanted a clean government to be formed, which will work for the development and progress of the state.

"We want that a clean government should be formed; all the candidates should be of clean image and should work for the development of the state, so that our state also comes in power with other states and moves on the oath of development," said R K Singh Meher, a voter.

Elections are also due to take place in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Goa.

The result of the polls will be declared on March 6. (ANI)