Uttarakhand: Political history
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Male: female ratio
2017: Women outnumber men in 6 seats
Kautilya Singh, Women voters outnumber men in 6 Uttarakhand seats, Feb 15, 2017: The Times of India
Bucking the trend of fewer women voters than men in most assembly seats across the country , the women outnumbers male electors in six constituencies of Uttarakhand and are almost equal in terms of their numbers in at least five other seats. The six seats are Kedarnath (women: 42,055; men: 40,738), Pauri (women: 45,909; men: 45,753), Chaubattakhal (women: 44,326 women; men: 43,663), Dharchula (women: 42,253; men: 41,590 men), Didihat (women: 41,596; men: 39,083) and Dwarahat (women: 46,163; men 43,438). Interestingly, all the po litical parties, in their campaigns for these seats, have focused on issues raised by women, especially their demand for a curb on the sale of liquor in the hills.
Incidentally , women are at the centrestage of the po litical battle in Kedarnath where a straight fight is expected between BJP's Shaila Rani Rawat, who defected from Congress last year, and Asha Nautiyal, who was earlier in BJP but is now contesting as an Independent after being denied a ticket.
Both candidates have been trying to woo the female voters by pursuing outreach programmes in the villages and also through gestures like cutting grass with the women and sharing meals with them.
Ritual animal sacrifice during elections
Shivani Azad, As poll nears, sacrifice of animals hits high gear, Feb 13, 2017: The Times of India
Polls in the hills are around the bend, now's the time to please gods and voters with feasts, pujas and animal sacrifices at select temples of Uttarkashi and the Jaunsar Bawar region of Garhwal.
The feasts are on, several of them were held recently in the villages of Chakrata. Sacrificial goat meat offered to the gods was distributed among villagers, sources say . No villager will say which politician organised the sacrifice, but it's an open secret that this is a key poll-time ritual.
Priests say winning candidates often offer animal sacrifices. “At shrines like Gabella's Kukarshi temple, the Chalda Mahasu temple at Chakrata and Kachnu devta in Uttarkashi, such sacrifices happen, but after a candidate has won. That too, if the winner has pledged a sacrifice to the gods,“ says Mohan Lal Semwal, purohit, Mahasu devta temple.
