Kawardha\ Pandariya: As Election Commission of India seeks to convince voters to exercise their franchise in the upcoming assembly elections in five states, locals in a far flung in Pandariya district of Chhattisgarh are literally unaware of the upcoming polls, ETV Bharat has learnt. The ECI is trying hard to ensure 100 percent voting for which public awareness campaigns are being run continuously. People are being told the importance of their vote through street plays, banners, posters and social media.
ETV Bharat's team reached Basatola, a far flung village of Pandariya assembly constituency to get the first hand experience about how much impact this effort of the Election Commission has on the voters and how aware people are about voting. Basatola is 70 kilometers away from Pandaria district headquarters.
Apart from the unpaved approach road leading to the village, what shocked this channel more is that the locals have no knowledge about polling when asked about the upcoming assembly elections. The villagers of Basatola and its surrounding areas do not have any information regarding the assembly elections to be held on 7th November.
Some villagers, who frequently come and go to the city said that they have heard from the people in the city that the assembly elections are to be held on 7th November in Chhattisgarh. The nearest polling center is also 10 kilometers away from the village, the locals said. The villagers also complained of lack of development including dilapidated condition of the approach road to the village.
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As a result, only young men and women somehow reach the polling stations by trekking through mountains and footpaths but the elderly are not able to cast their vote. “We are not concerned with elections. There is no information about them. No one from the administration has reached out yet. Last year, I had gone to Rukhmiddar, 10 kilometers away, to cast my vote. Those who can walk go to vote, elderly people cannot go,” Amarlal Baiga a local from Basatola village said.
Two booths have been set up in Gram Panchayat Kandavani. A booth has been set up at Kandavani Primary School whereas a second polling booth has been set up in Rukhmidar Primary School. The total population of Basatola and three other villages Arjutola, Bharindadar and Bahpani villages is around 900 with 700 adults expected to exercise their franchise.
District Election Officer and Collector Janmejay Mahobe had taken a meeting of all the officials and given instructions to repair electricity, water and toilets in all 803 polling stations of the district. But there is neither electricity nor drinking water and toilet facilities in Rukhmidar polling station. In such a situation, along with the voters, the polling parties may also have to face a lot of difficulties in this area.
Voting is to be held in Pandariya on November 7 in the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections. Congress has fielded Neelkanth Chandravanshi from Pandariya. The BJP has not announced the candidate yet.
