Thirty-nine voters of Bagjam village informed about the decision in a representation addressed to the chief electoral officer (CEO).
Itanagar
The peoples of Bagjam village in remote Pipsorang circle of Kra Daadi district in Arunachal Pradesh has decided to boycott the coming simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections, owing to the absence of a polling station nearby for the people to cast their votes.
Thirty-nine voters of Bagjam village informed about the decision in a representation addressed to the chief electoral officer (CEO) here recently. There are altogether 117 voters in Bagjam.
In the representation, the villagers said they have to cast their votes at the Lukbia polling station, which is located at a considerable distance from their village.
“There is a natural barrier of two big rivers, namely, the Pare and the Sulu, which separates Bagjam village from the Lukbia polling station. There is an old wire hanging bridge over the rivers, which can be reached only after long foot march, which makes it difficult for the old and the physically challenged voters to exercise their votes,” the villagers said.
They said they had earlier submitted a representation to the Tali Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) for separating of polling station, Bagjam village.
“The AERO had recommended to the electoral registration officer (ERO) of Tali for a separate polling station, and the Tali MLA had also recommended to the ERO for creation of a polling station for Bagjam village on 16 June, 2018. However, on 17 July, 2018, the Tali ADC-cum-EROsubmitted a report to district election officer (DEO) where there was no mention of our village,” claimed the villagers.
They also said the ERO neither visited the village nor sought any report from the booth level officer before submitting a report to the DEO, wherein there was no mention of Bagjam village.
“Despite several representations made to the DEO and others no corrective measures have been taken, nor have our grievances been redressed, thus compelling us to boycott the elections by not casting our votes at the Lukbia polling station,” they said in the representation.
When contacted, Additional Chief Election officer (ACEO) Kanki Darang inform the reporters that though representation was received but there are system for creation of polling station and rationalisation of section, for separation of polling station from existing polling station.
He said that the 17 Lukbia polling station having three parts comprise of Lukbia with 163 electors, Hania with 257 electors and Bagjam with 117 electors.
The rationalisation process began 1 year ahead of the election, the process began with AERO, ERO, the rationalisation which include modification, change of Polling station and clapping of few more villages and separation of voters in such way, accordingly consultative meeting was held at Kolorinag on August 11 2018 wherein members of political party attended including AERO/ERO etc recommendation of few new polling station was there but proposal was there and no change was made as Lukbia being centrally located and no change was made. However proposal for change of Polling station was made which may be considered later on.
He said that voting right is a legitimate and fundamental right and should not boycott and participate in democracy. Darang further appeal the voters to take part in voting process.
It is to mention that the state will go to poll on April 11. There are twenty eight polling station in 20 Tali assembly constituency. Total voters of thirteen thousand one hundred nineteen with six thousand one hundred ninety male and six thousand nine hundred twenty nine female.
There are triangular contest between INC, BJP and JDU, INC have fielded a women candidate Dayum Yara while BJP have fielded Thaji Gichak Kiogi and JDU have fielded JIkke Tako respectively.
