VIZIANAGARAM: People of Bhogarajapuram in Dattirajeru mandal of the district boycotted elections on Monday, demanding road connectivity to their hamlet. About 205 voters of the village stayed away from voting. Though the district officials tried to convince the villagers to cast their votes, they made it clear that until they got a clear assurance from the State government on construction of the road, they would not exercise their franchise.
Hence, the polling staff reportedly returned without conducting polling in Bhogarajapuram.
It is a hamlet in Guchhimi Gram Panchayat. The people have been facing difficulty to go to the mandal headquarters for their needs due to lack of a motorable road from their hamlet. Though they have made several representations to the State government in the last few decades, there has been no response. They are forced to walk 2.5 km to reach the nearest motorable road, villagers rued. They used to shift patients on bullock carts or doli during medical emergencies.
They have also staged several protests against the indifferent attitude of the government to provide basic infrastructure in their hamlet. Though they staged a protest at the district collectorate on Sunday stating that they would boycott the election, the officials had not taken any initiative to resolve the matter by persuading the villagers to call off the boycott, citing the Model Code of Conduct to give any concrete assurance in this regard.
However, the Returning Officer of Gajapathinagaram Assembly segment under which Dattirajeru mandal comes, did not respond to the villagers’ poll boycott matter when TNIE tried to contact her over the phone.
Speaking to TNIE, Saripalli Chandrudu of Bhogarajapuram said, “Laying a 2.5 km motorable road to our village has remained an unfulfilled election promise for the past few decades. The officials and politicians are indifferent to our repeated pleas to lay a motorable road to our hamlet. Hence, we have boycotted the election to highlight our grievance.”