In Panipat, Babarpur Mandi boycotts poll

Tribune News Service

Panipat, December 16

A total of 1,740 voters of Babarpur Mandi in ward 26 boycotted MC elections on Sunday. They demanded exclusion from areas under MC jurisdiction.

Polling officers on the booths concerned waited the entire day. Only 11 voters, including five women, cast their vote in Babarpur mandi.

The residents of Babrpur mandi had announced their decision to boycott MC elections in a mahapanchayat held on December 9.

Two booths were set up at the government primary school in the mandi. Polling staff reached the venue on Saturday night as per the schedule. Polling started on the scheduled time on Sunday.

Residents gathered at a central point in the mandi and decided not to cast their vote. The residents were angry over being ignored by ministers and the local MLA in the last four years.

Punit Ahuja, Ravinder Dhiman, Ashish Sandhu and other residents said Babarpur mandi was included in the MC in 2012 to ensure speedy development. Till then, it was under the jurisdiction of Kachroli village. They claimed that no minister, MLA or councillor had paid heed to their problems. Ahuja said they were demanding that the area be transferred back to the Kachroli panchayat.

After getting information, BJP candidate Vijay Jain reached the spot. He visited the booth, but no voter had come till 3 pm. A little after 3 pm, Pratibha Rawat Pasricha reached the polling booth to vote. Some people and her relatives tried to dissuade her from voting, but she refused. She was the first voter at the polling booth. “I am casting my vote for the first time and am excited,” she said. After some time, she brought relatives to cast their vote. — TNS