Assam Panchayat polls:One Man Shot In Panchayat Clash,Villagers Boycott Polls, Arrange Feast In Barhampur

By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : The Assam Panchayat poll’s 1st phase turned bloody on Wednesday as a man was shot during a clash with Police personnel. The incident took place at Habichuk in Habial village under Golaghat district. The injured person identified as Gyanendra Rajkhuwa. Reportedly, the man had attacked the voters with a cutting edge and created ruckus near a polling station at Habial village. The man also tried to attack police personnel – as per reports. “He was carrying a cutting edge, situation compelled us to fire on him as he attacked four persons with the sword”- police reports. Mention that Indian elections are a fertile ground for some extraordinary stories, stories that surprise, elate and sometimes, disappoint. And, the current Assam Panchayat election, which began from this morning with voting being held for the first phase of its two-part polls, is no different. Some thousand-odd voters of Tetelisara in Barhampur has decided to boycott this panchayat election and arranged a public feast at the village. The residents are upset over the lack of basic amenities in their village. Among their chief complaints is lack of water and no proper roads in their village. The villagers are also upset over irregular supply of electricity, the three utilities making a troika that often forms the basis of most parties’ poll promises. Interestingly enough, the voters of Tetelisara are not just upset over the lack of amenities but also because, they claim, nobody either from the Congress, AGP or the BJP visited the village to listen to their problems. “No votes if we don’t get services” one villager said as another one challenged politicians to come to their village and show what “development” has happened there. The polling centre wore a deserted look as villagers decided to boycott the election.