File photo of Narendra Modi
In Uttarakhand, which votes today in a single phase, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is counting on the national appeal of
Narendra Modi, its prime ministerial candidate, to wrest the initiative back from the Congress. The Congress is counting on the local appeal of its Chief Minister Harish Rawat. (
India Votes 2014: Track updates)
The the hill state, which is still recovering from the floods and landslides that devastated it in June last year, has five Lok Sabha seats. In 2009, the Congress had won all five. (
India Votes 2014: Full Coverage)
The state elections in 2012 saw a photo-finish, with the Congress just scraping ahead by a seat to form government. The BJP hopes that an anti-incumbency mood, nationally and in the state will benefit it.
Pauri-Garhwal, Tehri, and Almora will see direct contests between the BJP and the Congress, while in Haridwar and Nainital, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, the BSP and the Samajwadi Party are trying hard to widen the contest.
The BJP has fielded three former chief ministers - BC Khanduri, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank. The Congress has fielded Chief Minister Harish Rawat's wife Renuka, former Chief Minister Vjay Bahuguna's son Saket.
AAP has fielded the country's first woman Director General of Police Kanchan Chaudhry Bhattacharya in Haridwar. She takes on Mr Nishank and Renuka Rawat in a tough contest.