Villagers Boycott Panchayat Polls In Odisha; Know The Reasons

Bhubaneswar: Voters in different parts of the state on Friday boycotted the second phase polling in panchayat elections protesting lack of basic amenities and authorities’ indifference to their demands.

According to sources, people of two villages under Sadar block in Dhenkanal district resorted to poll boycott. The voters of Mahulpunji village in Bhapur panchayat staged a dharna near the polling station raising slogans of poll boycott in protest against a poultry farm set up in their area.The polling was disrupted in three booths in the panachayat due to the protest.

Similarly, the villagers of Durgaprasad boycotted the election as the authorities had failed to fulfil their demand of according revenue village status to their village.

In Cuttack district, the voters boycott the polling at booth number 15 in Kuranga Sasan. They abstained from polling in protest against detention of some villagers by police in connection with a case.

Similarly in Nabarangpur district, villagers of Baradajodi and Ladipadar under Tentulikhunti panchayat did not go to exercise their franchise as their demand for basic amenities had not been fulfilled by the authorities.

They said their long-standing demand for a motorable road to both villages remains unattended by the authorities despite repeated pleas to them. As a result, the education of the children and healthcare services have been severely affected, they added.

In Koraput district, the people of Sukhiaguda village under Tankua panchayat of Jeypore block have also stayed away from the election. They resorted to the boycott as a mark of protest against lack of an approachable road to the village despite repeated demands before the local authorities.