Chief Election Commissioner’s Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing

A helicopter with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and additional Chief Election Officer of Uttarakhand Vijay Kumar Jogdande on board made an emergency landing in the state’s Pithoragarh district today. All passengers of the helicopter are safe, reported news agency ANI quoting the Uttarakhand Government.

On Tuesday, Mr Kumar announced bypoll to the Kedarnath assembly seat in Uttarakhand. The Kedarnath seat, located in Rudraprayag district, is part of the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency, currently held by the BJP.

The seat fell vacant following the death of MLA Shaila Rawat in July. Rawat won the seat on a BJP ticket in the 2022 assembly polls. She had represented the seat in 2012 also as a Congress MLA. She lost in 2017 but regained it in 2022.