The day after the lok Sabha Assembly elections in Palamu saw civil society activists criticising the relocation of booths this Friday. A total of twenty booths were relocated in Palamu district during the polling process here on Thursday due to security reasons, informed Deputy Election Officer MK Pandey.
Akhtar Zaman, a noted social activist, stated, “This incident of booth relocation is not first of its kind, rural voters often have to travel to distant, unfamiliar villages to exercise their voting rights. This discourages voters and hampers polling percentage. On the other hand, urban voters even get red-carpet treatment at polling booths. Such double standards further discourage rural voters.”
On an average, a polling booth has a turnout of 800 voters. By this account, the number of rural voters stands approximately at16, 000 voters in Palamu’s twenty relocated booths, sources said.
In absence of any official declaration, exact polling percentage in these relocated booths cannot be drawn. As per reports, there has been no voting at four of relocated polling booths. The administration will examine the official records of these four booths before taking a
stand in this regard, said a
district official.
The district administration prepares a list of booths to be relocated, stating legitimate reasons for doing so. These reasons may range from booths’ history of past elections, violence during polls, threat to life and property of the electoral officials and polling equipment, the safety of the forces deployed,
and more.
This list of booths proposed to be relocated is then taken up with respective contestants, which is then forwarded to Election Commission of India for approval.
“Firstly, the contestants should to explain why they agree to relocate the polling stations, ignoring the problems of the voters who have to travel to an unfamiliar booth, in some other village, to cast their votes,” said Zaman.
A relocation of booth presents a poor image of the administration projecting that the administration lacks the will to retain the booth where it is. Also, a relocated booth shows administration’s incapability in safeguarding the life and property of its own people.
Palamu is no exception when it comes to relocation of booths; it is common in regions as far as Bastar in Chhattisgarh. In Bihar, a booth was relocated 25 kilometers, from its original location, If Bihar BJP’s strong man Sushil Modi is to be believed.
It is not the distance that a voter of a relocated booth loathes but the feeling of disrespect that comes from voting at a booth in unfamiliar villages, some say. Furthermore, the prying eyes of the people at relocated booths upset the voters who are asked to vote there, as dubious image of their booths makes them feel inferior.