Polls face widespread boycotts amid discontent over unmet needs

Poll boycotts have emerged as a significant issue in India's ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

Across the country, from north to south and east to west, numerous villages and even entire Assembly segments have seen residents refusing to cast their votes.

In the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections held on May 7, seven villages in Gujarat-home to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shahboycotted voting entirely.

Officials confirmed complete boycotts in the villages of Kesar in Bharuch, Sanadhara in Surat, and Bhakhari in Banaskantha.

Additionally, residents of Bhatgam in Junagadh, Rabarika in Bhavnagar, and Bodoli and Pujara in Mahisagar district partially abstained from voting.

Several villages in Gujarat have boycotted elections due to unresolved issues and unmet demands.

In Bhakhari village in Banaskantha, residents refrained from voting because they wanted a separate gram panchayat.

In Kesar village in Bharuch, approximately 350 voters did not cast their ballots because a promised bridge over Kim Creek was not constructed.

In Rabarika village, under the Amreli constituency in Bhavnagar, voting was delayed for six hours as residents called for improvements in water supply for drinking and irrigation, road conditions, and other local concerns.

Rabarika, located in the Savarkundla Assembly constituency, has around 410 registered voters.

For the past eight months, villagers have been urging the government to address issues such as lack of water access, poor road infrastructure, and challenges with land records.