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Chhattisgarh village votes for 1st time since independence during panchayat polls
Residents of Chhattisgarh's Kerlapenda village raised their concerns in front of politicians for the first time during this election.
Marking a milestone in the history of Indian democracy, a Naxal-hit village in Chhattisgarh voted for the first time ever since independence on Sunday during the ongoing Panchayat polls in the state.
The people of Sukma district’s Kerlapenda village queued up amid tight security to cast their vote during the third phase of the state panchayat polls, reported news agency ANI.
Visuals from the village show men and women of the village queuing up peacefully, waiting for their turn to cast their votes while being surrounded by tight security. The people of the Naxal-hit village had never voted before.
"I have voted for the first time. We had never voted before," a voter was quoted as saying by ANI.
This was also the first time for the people of Kerlapenda village to raise their concerns in front of politicians and people from nearby villages also reached out to cast votes, said another resident.
"Voting is taking place after 75 years here. People from the nearby villages are also reaching out to cast their votes... I am happy that we will move towards development. This is the first time we got a chance to raise our demands in front of the leaders...," he told ANI.
'We want employment opportunities'
This was not the first milestone achieved during the Chhattisgarh panchayat polls this year. During the second phase of the elections on February 20, people of Bijapur district, that had a history of insurgency, also participated in the polls.
People reached the voting centre in Bhopalpatnam village by crossing over difficult terrains such as dense forests and rivers and covering a distance of as long as 70 kilometers to cast their votes, the ANI report said.
These were the people of villages that fall under Bijapur district’s national park, a safe haven for Naxals. People from around five villages braved the terror looming in their area and came together to cast their votes.
A voter was quoted by ANI as saying, "We want employment opportunities, road connectivity, electricity, pension, and other basic facilities from the government.”
The first phase of Chhattisgarh panchayat polls was held on February 17 and the second phase was on February 20. A provisional voter turnout of 77.54 per cent was recorded on Sunday for the third phase, however, the number might go up, news agency PTI reported citing an official.
(With ANI inputs)
