Odisha Elections 2019: Voters boycott polls in several places. Here’s why

Bhubaneswar: A large number of voters boycotted casting their votes to elect their representatives in the first phase of elections today for various reasons in several places of Odisha.

The voters returned to their houses without exercising their voting rights due to faulty EVM machines in several places. Being upset over administration’s apathy, the citizens in some places boycotted to participate in electoral process over non-fulfilment of their demands.

According to reports, the villagers of Tetengepadar village under Karlamunda block, Supil, Kusumbar and Surali under Dharmagarh block and Bhejipadar village in Junagarh area in Kalahandi district have boycotted their voting exercise citing their leaders are yet to meet their long standing demands.

Similar incident was reported from several villages in tribal district Nabarangpur where the voters did not cast their votes for various demand.

As many as 1238 voters at Kantagaon village under Papadahandi block skipped polling demanding construction of an office for newly formed Gram Panchayat.

Similarly, total 388 villagers of Pokhanaguda under Nandahandi block in Nabarangpur district boycotted polls demanding road to their village. They wanted a written assurance from the district administration following which they are likely to cast their votes. The citizens in Talarangpani, Upararangapani and Kutudi villages along with Narayanpatna in Koraput district were also abstained from polling due to non-fulfillment of their demands.

The voters under Mathili block skipped the elections as the polling booths are located far away from their villages.

Expressing displeasure over no implementation of both Centre and State’s welfare schemes, the villagers of Tabarsingh and Limarsingh under Raigarh in Gajapati district boycotted the polls.

The villagers decided not to exercise their right to vote alleging ‘government apathy’. They said that neither the district administration nor the political leaders have visited their villages to address their issues.