Ahmedabad: Approximately a thousand voters from three villages in Gujarat refrained from participating in the Lok Sabha polls on Tuesday, while residents in three other villages also showed partial abstention due to grievances toward the government, according to officials.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) reported that voters in Kesar village in Bharuch district, Sanadhara in Surat district, and Bhakhari in Banaskantha district completely boycotted voting. Similarly, residents of Bhatgam village in Junagadh district, and Bodoli and Kunjara villages in Mahisagar district partially abstained from voting.
Sanadhara village, situated within the Bardoli Lok Sabha constituency, has a voter count of 320. According to the Election Commission report, none of the voters exercised their franchise due to unresolved issues, despite efforts from local authorities and political representatives.
In Bakhri village, under the Patan parliamentary constituency, approximately 300 voters collectively decided to boycott voting in protest against the division of their gram panchayat. Despite attempts to persuade them, they remained resolute in their decision.
Polling arrangements were in place since early morning, but villagers refrained from voting, expressing discontent over the division of their gram panchayat. Even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Bharatsinh Dabhi visited the village to urge participation, but without success.
Similarly, around 350 voters in Kesar village of Bharuch district stood firm in their decision not to cast their votes, resulting in zero votes cast by the end of the day. This isn’t the first instance of such boycotts; locals mentioned similar instances in the past due to unmet demands for a bridge over a river.
On Tuesday, polling was conducted for 25 out of the total 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning the Surat seat uncontested.
