Dehradun, Jan 30 (IBNS): Up to 70 percent of the 63 lakh voters exercised their franchise in Uttarakhand on Monday where the single-phase assembly election ended peacefully.

"There was no untoward incident in the polls. The turnout was between 68 and 70 percent in the plains while in the hills it was 53 percent and above till last reports in the evening," Uttarakhand Director General of Police J S Pandey told IBNS.

Election Commission officials said the polling was 70 percent though police said the same was true for the plains.

"The details of the hills are awaited," said Pandey.

In the polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had fielding two-time chief minister BC Khanduri from Kodwara, while Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who had stepped down from the top post last year on graft charges, is also in the fray.

Khanduri, who is pitted against Congress nominee Surendra Singh Negi, hopes to defend the his turf and put to test the BJP’s efforts at convincing the electorate about its stand against corruption.

Speaking on the polls, Khanduri  said: "It is a good sign that people came in large numbers to cast their votes. People have to decide."

The fate of 788 candidates  contesting for the 70 Assembly constituencies were decided.