|
No power, no
vote
Despite its overall satisfactory polling, Kandhamal Lok Sabha segment today reported complete boycott of polls in two booths (in villages Baligada and Bamnigaon) of the Daringbadi block, where people were protesting absence of electricity and roads in their villages. Majority of the villages in Daringbadi are yet to taste the fruits of rural electrification and connectivity. |
Fearlessness, it seems, ultimately prevailed in Orissa’s sensitive Kandhamal Lok Sabha segment where locals ignored poll boycott calls by Naxals on Thursday. The constituency witnessed 55 per cent polling.
Daringbadi and Kotgarh blocks of the district, where left-wing extremists had, a few days ago, issued grave threats to Hindus in case they voted, recorded a whopping 90 per cent polling.
News of the day, however, emanated from the five relief camps in the area where Christian refugees surprised everyone by turning out in large numbers, thereby dumping own resolve of not to vote. Most of them told The Tribune that they voted to ensure that radicals did not take the advantage of a low turnout.
Average polling in the relief camps -- operating since anti-Christian riots in August last -- was 90 per cent, the highest at Tikabali camp, which is also the largest Christian refugee base in the district. The polling at Raikia and Mandakia relief camps was even higher, about 91 and 92 per cent, respectively.
For the district administration, which had a contingency plan ready in case of trouble, the day turned out good, with no major incident reported. Heartening also was peaceful polling and a high voter turnout in Balliguda and G. Udaygiri -- the two blocks the administration had categorised “communally-sensitive” and vulnerable from the point of law and order.
While Balliguda block houses the Jalaspeta ashram, where VHP leader Laxmananda Saraswati was killed on August 23 last, G Udaygiri (where the Tikabali relief camp is located) has a major presence of the Sangh Parivar, which was seen as a deterrent for the Christian refugees who wanted to vote. Both these blocks had seen massive anti-Christian violence last year.
But today, the scenario was different, with the Christians deciding to vote in the last minute change of mind. Voting in Kandhamal was also aided by a heavy security personnel presence. Eighteen central paramilitary companies -- 16 CRPF and two Rapid Action Force, and 11 Orissa state police force battalions were deployed in the segment for voting.
Christian refugees were escorted in 41 vehicles to the nearby polling stations. Of the 3,200 relief camp inhabitants, about 1,800 had votes. Most of them exercised their franchise, said Kandhamal DC Krishan Kumar.
