In a tightly contested and controversial election, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate post by a single vote, defeating Congress candidate Pushpa Negi on August 14, 2025. Of the 22 votes cast, Darmwal secured 11, Negi got 10, and one vote was invalidated, as announced on Tuesday. The Congress candidate Devki Bisht clinched the vice president post after a tie with BJP’s Bahadur Nagdali, decided by a lottery following a 10-10 vote split, with one vote declared invalid and another blank.
The election was marred by serious allegations from Congress, which accused the BJP of kidnapping several Zila Panchayat members to prevent them from voting. Family members of the missing members approached the Uttarakhand High Court, which ordered police to escort them to the polling booth under security. A scuffle also erupted between BJP workers and Congress leaders, including Yashpal Arya, Sanjeev Arya, and Sumit Hridayesh, with allegations that police stood by as silent spectators. The incident was broadcast live on Arya’s Facebook page.
The Uttarakhand High Court sharply criticized the police, with Chief Justice G Narendra and Justice Alok Mehra questioning Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prahlad Narayan Meena’s inaction, asking, “Are you deliberately protecting the criminals?” The court highlighted Nainital’s significance beyond tourism, noting the High Court’s presence, and suggested transferring the SSP, though no final decision was made. Meena assured the court that all accused would be arrested within 24 hours.
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Vote counting occurred under tight security, was videographed, and results were sealed in an envelope before being declared. Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh presented certificates to the winners. Despite the controversy, the BJP’s narrow victory has intensified the political rivalry, with Congress’s kidnapping allegations and the court’s intervention keeping the election under scrutiny.
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