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30,000 voters of 50 villages in Karauli to boycott Rajasthan polls over ‘lack of civic amenities’

Hindustan Times, Bharatpur | By
Nov 16, 2018 03:26 PM IST

The villagers, from 50 villages under Sapotra assembly constituency, gave a memorandum to district collector Abhimanyu Kumar on Wednesday to inform him about their decision to not cast votes on December 7.

More than 30,000 voters of 50 villages in Karauli district have decided to boycott the December 7 assembly elections in Rajasthan to register their protest over lack of civic amenities.

The villagers gave a memorandum to district collector Abhimanyu Kumar on Wednesday to inform him about their decision to not cast votes on December 7.

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The villages come under the Sapotra assembly constituency and are covered under 10 gram panchayats -- Daulatpura, Nibhera, Rahir, Kailadevi, Lakhrukhi, Daulatiya, Badki, Nareki, Kulraki and Gaurdargura.

“Even after 70 years of independence, politicians have failed to provide water, roads and electricity to us,” said Ramnarayan Meena from Rahir. Jagdish Meena from the same village said, “Politicians visit us only during elections. They use us for votes; so this time we have decided to boycott polling.”

The district collector said the villagers were assured of facilities and convinced to withdraw their boycott call. “These villages are located in forest areas, so much time is needed to develop them. However, the process of providing basic development to the villages has begun,” Abhimanyu Kumar said.

Meanwhile, in Bharatpur, BJP workers protested against party candidate Ritu Banavat from Bayana assembly constituency, saying she is not eligible to contest from the seat reserved for the scheduled castes since she was married into an upper caste family.

People from schedule castes, including BJP workers, burnt an effigy of the BJP to protest Banavat’s candidature and demanded that she be replaced.

“Bayana constituency is reserved for schedule castes but the BJP gave ticket to Ritu Banavat, who is married into an upper caste family,” said Rakesh Jatav, Bharatpur zila parishad member from the BJP. “She contested as an independent against the BJP candidate in 2013 assembly election even though she was a BJP worker. She doesn’t deserve party ticket.” In 2013, she was the runner-up

BJP corporator Bhaktraj Mathuria and party worker Roop Kishore Sejwal said they have told party leaders to change the ticket and give it to an SC person. They blamed Banavat for the party dropping sitting MLA Bachchu Bansiwal.

Bhanavat, an SC, married Rishi Bansal, a vaishya, in 2007. Bansal is a former office-bearer of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Banavat, 34, is from Udaipur and holds a doctorate degree from University of Rajasthan. She has been a member of the ABVP since her college days.

Bhanavat said she didn’t rebel against the BJP in 2013. “People of my constituency wanted me to contest, so I contested as an independent candidate. I was assured a ticket this time,” she said. “I will work to generate jobs in the stone industry for youth of this area after getting elected as an MLA.”

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