Ratabari(Assam): Altogether 21,665 voters
in 16 polling stations did not exercise their franchise in
Nivia Charagi area under Ratabari assembly constituency in
Assam`s Karimganj district today in protest against the poor
infrastructural facilities in the area.
Official sources said not a single vote was polled in
these polling stations where polling personnel had to reach on
elephant back and then trek for over six kilometres.
The people of 15 villages, on the remote Ratachora
hills bordering Mizoram, decided to stay away from the polls
though they had not made any announcement of boycotting the
polls earlier.
"We decided to boycott the elections as since
Independence no development has taken place in the area and
despite repeated appeals to our representatives, both in
Parliament and state assembly, no steps have been taken to
improve the condition of this remote area", President of
Anipur Joumong Sadak Sangram Samiti Abhimanyu said.
Singh said that they had not announced earlier as the
leaders always made false promises and did not fulfill them.
The area had extremely poor road communications and
health facilities were also very bad, he added.
There are 12 candidates in the fray in the
constituency. Prominrny among them were Kripanath Mallah of
Congress, BJP`s Nikhil Suklabaidya and Priyada Ranjan Mullick
of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).
PTI
