Around a thousand voters across three villages in Gujarat abstained from voting in the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, while residents in three other villages partially refrained from participating due to unresolved grievances with the government. The Chief Electoral Officer reported that Kesar village in Bharuch district, Sanadhara in Surat district, and Bhakhari in Banaskantha district completely boycotted voting, while Bhatgam village in Junagadh district, and Bodoli and Kunjara villages in Mahisagar district, partially abstained from the electoral process.
In Sanadhara village, situated within the Bardoli Lok Sabha seat, all 320 voters refrained from casting their votes due to outstanding issues, despite efforts by local authorities and political representatives to encourage participation. Similarly, around 300 voters in Bakhri village, under the Patan parliamentary constituency, collectively boycotted voting to protest against the division of their gram panchayat.
Despite persuasion from poll officers and visits from political candidates like Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bharatsinh Dabhi, villagers remained resolute in their decision not to vote. In Kesar village, where no votes were cast by the end of the day, locals cited unmet demands regarding the construction of a bridge over a river as a reason for their boycott. This boycott isn’t unprecedented, as villagers have abstained from voting in the past due to unaddressed grievances with the government.
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