Four Gujarat villages boycott polls over lack of development

The voters in four villages of Gujarat's Mehsana district said they were boycotting the elections as no development had taken place in their areas.

The Becharaji Taluka Bariyaf village and Kheralu Taluka's three villages on Monday claimed that their issues have remained unresolved for decades and hence they were not participating in the voting exercise.

Till 1 p.m. not a single vote was cast in these four villages.


Bariyaf Village sarpanch Raju Patel told the local media, "For decades around half-a-dozen issues were pending, even after several reminders and personal requests nothing has been done. For example, in three decades, the Water Resources Department has certified that underground water was not drinkable, old borewells were sealed but new borewells were not developed.

"The primary school was developed in 1968, it needs regularisation and repairs. Since three terms, turn by turn each sarpanch has taken up matters with the respective authorities, but there is no result, Narmada water has not reached the village."

Patel on behalf of 1,000 villagers has stated that villagers have boycotted the voting and staged protests. "We will only vote if the Mehsana district collector promises in writing to resolve the pending issues," he said

In Kheralu Taluka, Varethna, Dalisana, and Davol villagers too have boycott voting. Their demand was to revive the Rupen river, and fill village lakes with Narmada or other voters.