‘Lack of basic needs’: Villages in Karauli to boycott elections
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.
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.
BJP WORKERS PROTEST AGAINST OWN NOMINEE
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.”
A 32-year-old woman was found hanging from a tree in Bhajheda village under Todabhim police station limits on Thursday in Karauli.
Police took the body to the Community Health Centre at Todabhim to postmortem.
The woman has been identified as Foranti Devi from Ramgarh village under Mahwa police station of Dausa.
Her husband, Lekhraj Meena, is an employee of the Railway Police Force.
Police said the couple got married in Gwarki village in 2002. Her body was found in the forest area of Bhajheda village in Karauli by farmers who were working in agriculture filed early in the morning. They informed the police who rushed to the spot.
Station house officer of Todabhim, Ramesh Tanwar, said the woman’s brother, Hansraj Meena from Ramgarh, filed a complaint against her in-laws alleging that they were demanding dowry and were responsible for her death.
Police handed over the body to family members after post-mortem. An investigation will begin after recording statements and getting the autopsy report, Tanwar said.
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