The Hindu : Karnataka / Bidar News : Voters in 16 villages boycott polls

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 14, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bidar

Voters in 16 villages boycott polls

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIDAR, OCT. 13. The idea of poll boycott as protest appears to have caught up in the district after voters in four Assembly segments kept away from booths to highlight the fact that successive governments and political parties had neglected their demands all these years.

The low voter turnout of 40 per cent was compounded by boycotts in at least 16 villages.

Voters responded to the call given by the agitation committee of farmers displaced by the Karanja Irrigation Project in 10 villages in Bidar, Humnabad, Bhalki and Hulsoor segments.

Reports from Kheni Ranjol, Sangolgi, Nelwal, Aurad (Sirsi), Nedvancha, Bavgi, Rekulagi, Bombalgi Markhal and Sirsi say the boycott was near total.

Displaced farmers

The president of the committee, Suryakanth Patil Dakulagi, claimed that displaced farmers across the district had boycotted the polls.

The displaced farmers had been demanding a better rehabilitation and resettlement package.

They seek lands to till, a job for the breadwinner in each family, and a lift irrigation project for the farmers on the left bank of the project.

They had also been demanding basic amenities such as roads, power supply, drinking water and burial grounds in rehabilitation camps.

"We have been carrying out an organised agitation for nearly a year now, and our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. We only want to remind all political parties, that we exist," Mr. Dakulagi said.

He alleged that the Government had spent only eight per cent of the cost of the Karanja project on rehabilitation and resettlement, while nearly 42 per cent of the cost was spent on these facilities in the Upper Krishna Project.

Similarly, people in Dhannura (K) and Dhannura (K) wadi and Bosga villages in Basavakalyan, Sonkera and Sikandrabad Wadi in Hulsoor and Eklaspur wadi in Bhalki boycotted elections demanding better roads and other basic amenities.

"Our experience tells us that it is no use writing letters to heads of governments. We, therefore, thought this was the best way to say we are not happy with the Government. And since every party contesting in this election has formed the government in the state at one time or the other, we thought we should boycott polls and make politicians listen to us," Sharanappa Biradar of Sonkera village said.

Bypoll peaceful: Page 4

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Voters in 16 villages boycott polls