Harish Rawat Detained Amid Manglaur Violence During Uttarakhand By-Polls

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was detained after attempting to visit a polling booth during violence in the Manglaur assembly seat. The unrest, which left multiple Congress workers injured, has been attributed to alleged interference by the ruling BJP. Rawat condemned the actions and called for public unity.

Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Harish Rawat, along with other Congress members, was detained and taken to a police station following the violence in the Manglaur assembly seat in Haridwar district on June 10. Rawat was reportedly detained by police while attempting to visit a polling booth in Libberheri after being accused of disrupting the democratic process.

The violence erupted on June 9 as Uttarakhand went to polls in the Badrinath and Manglaur constituencies. The altercation in Libberheri village in the Roorkee region resulted in injuries to several Congress workers. Rawat had warned the administration about potential violence, describing the events as unprecedented and blaming the ruling BJP for creating an atmosphere of fear.

Condemning the BJP's actions, Harish Rawat accused the ruling party of attempting to capture votes and intimidating voters. He urged people to unite against such conspiracies and posted on social media about the need to save democracy. Other Congress leaders echoed Rawat's sentiments, highlighting the lack of administrative intervention and the injuries sustained by workers.

Polling for the by-elections continued across 13 Assembly constituencies in seven states, with the highest voter turnout recorded in Madhya Pradesh's Amarwara at 66.58 percent and the lowest in Uttarakhand's Badrinath at 40.50 percent. The Manglaur assembly seat, now vacant after the demise of BSP MLA Sarwat Karim Ansari, witnessed a fierce electoral battle among BJP, Congress, and BSP candidates.

In the Badrinath assembly seat, the resignation of Congress MLA Rajendra Bhandari led to a by-election, where he contested as a BJP candidate. Senior Congress leader Lakhpat Butola and other independent candidates were also in the fray. Officials had set up 210 polling stations in Badrinath and 132 in Manglaur for the by-polls.

(With inputs from agencies.)