Gharauli Khurd votes despite SEZ issue

The residents of Ghaurali Khurd village who had earlier decided not to vote in the Lok Sabha elections had a change of heart and cast their vote on Thursday.

The residents of Ghaurali Khurd village who had earlier decided not to vote in the Lok Sabha elections had a change of heart and cast their vote on Thursday.

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Gharauli Khurd was among five villages whose lands were acquired for the now shelved Reliance SEZ (special economic zone) project. The village accounts for about 2,000 votes.

"After a discussion with our elderly and fellow villagers, we decided not to boycott the elections. We are angry that all the political parties have neglected our village but through voting we can bring a change and voice of dissent," said Satpal, a resident of the village.

The land was undertaken in the year 2006 and it was allotted to Reliance to set up special economic zone. Reliance could not commence project in the stipulated period mentioned in the agreement executed between Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructural Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and Reliance.

The villagers said that the only candidate who paid a visit to their village was Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Rao Inderjit Singh. Rao visited them earlier this week.

Meanwhile, there were two booths allotted for Gharauli Khurd and the voting concluded at 6.30 pm. In one booth the voting percentage was 71, while the other booth had a voting percentage of 68.

"I still believe that had we not voted, our message would have been louder and clearer but I respect and accept the decision of the villagers," said Kamal Singh, a farmer from Gharauli Khurd who lost 38 acres of land in the SEZ project.