Disappointed with Unfulfilled Promises, Voters Plan to Boycott MP Polls, Hang Posters

Bhopal: Residents in Neemanbudha and Sukreekhurd villages in Sohagpur and those in Jenaura hamlet in Pipria have decided to stay away from voting because the government has not been able to provide drinking water and power.

Similarly, the residents of the seven unauthorised colonies in Neemuch have put up posters outside their homes stating that they will boycott the elections because basic amenities like water, electricity and roads are still missing from their colonies.

The posters say, ‘If colonies are illegal then how can we vote legally? For 25 years, we have been living in hell-like conditions. We request politicians to not embarrass themselves by asking for votes’. The people are saying that they will not cast their votes till they get basic facilities and their colonies are legalised. In many rural areas of the state, people are blaming politicians for making all kinds of promises which were never fulfilled.

"In 2013, our local MLA promised us that he will provide basic facilities to our colonies and declare our colonies authorised, but even after five years nothing has happened. It has been 25 years since the colony was established, but neither the BJP nor the Congress fulfilled any of our demands. Instead, they cheated us again and again. So, we will not let any political leader come here nor will we cast our votes," said Mahesh Rao, a villager from Neemuch.

Black flags have been put up outside the houses as a sign of protest. Villagers allege that during elections, politicians camp in their locality and make tall promises, but never fulfill them.

"We have no reason to vote for them. Even after more than two decades, we are begging for basic facilities. We bring water from other localities, even the sewage system is not proper here," said another villager.

Not only in Neemuch, 50 kilometres away in Mandsaur, where six farmers were killed in police firing last year during the farmers’ protest, soyabean farmers are upset over the government’s apathy to their demands. Despite a decent harvest, farmers claim they are suffering losses due to falling prices. So, the soyabean farmers have also resolved to boycott the election.

Meanwhile, the news of boycott from various places has put the election commission and local leaders on their toes. The villagers’ decision came despite the election commission’s (EC) relentless campaigning to encourage citizens to cast their votes.

Speaking with Newsclick, Chief Executive Officer of the Madhya Pradesh Election Commission V L Kantha Rao said, “After the news of boycott from various parts of the state broke out, we sent teams of trained officials to those places to convince them to vote because boycotting election is no solution. This is their right and they should use it. It is the most important aspect of a democracy."

After the EC team’s visit, the residents of Neemanbudha and Sukreekhurd villages in Sohagpur and those in Jenaura hamlet in Pipria have agreed to cast their vote but have said that they will opt for NOTA. But the residents of Neemuch are still fixed on boycotting the polls.