Uttarakhand: CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, Former Harish Rawat cast votes

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and former Chief Minister and Lok Sabha candidate from Nainital, Harish Rawat, have cast their votes in the first phase of general elections in Dehradun and Nainital, respectively. CM Rawat has appealed to the people of the state to exercise their voting rights. He expressed his belief that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win all of the five parliamentary constituencies in the state.

"The people of Uttarakhand have decided to once again repeat the 2014 results. All five Lok Sabha seats will go to the BJP," Rawat said after casting his vote in the state capital on Thursday. Harish Rawat, a five-time MP, is contesting the polls from Nainital Lok Sabha constituency on a Congress ticket against BJP state president Ajay Bhatt. The seat is currently represented by Bhagat Singh Koshyari of the BJP.

After exercising his franchise in his constituency, he said, "People of Uttarakhand will vote for a change." Voting is underway in the state for all five Lok Sabha seats, currently held by the BJP. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

(With inputs from agencies.)