For the second time in continuation, people from villages of Jharkhand have the chance to elect their Panchayati Raj Institution representatives. And taking lessons from their mistakes made five years ago, they intend to choose their representatives very carefully. It was the interest towards electing a strong and competent rural government that pushed voters turned out to unprecedented numbers.
Although, all they wish for are basic amenities to come to their village, those elected will have to fulfil these expectations to the best of their abilities. These were the sentiments of most of the voters as they lined up outside polling booths this Sunday to exercise their franchise during the first phase of three-tier panchayat elections-2015.
“Gaon-ghar ki apni samasyaaein hoti hai. Unko hi chunenge jo un samasyaaon ko hal karein. (Villages have issues unique to them. We will elect only those candidates who can solve them.) Knowing the candidates, we will make sure that only the competent ones come to power,” said Juliana Kujur, an Anganwadi Sevika fromTikra Toli, waiting for turn at a polling booth in Nagri.
“We only desire that basic amenities are readily available in the villages. Roads, water supply, electricity, this is what we need and what we want. Ration cards distribution began recently, but the process is riddled with rampant discrepancies. I expect the elected representatives to solve that,” she added.
“We have been virtually cut-off from the main street, and this has been a discomfort to us for some time now. My agenda for voting is road,” said Joljeren Kerketta, a physically handicapped woman from Mahuatoli in Itki.
The candidates are aware of the problems prevalent in their respective areas and the electorate are familiar with the candidates. Considering this, the voters are looking forward to cast their votes in the favour of those who they believe will be best suited for the job. “No matter what allurements incompetent candidates present to us, we will elect those who we feel deserve to be elected,” a voter was heard saying at booth number 246 in Itki.
The government bodies and several other organisations have been campaigning in the villages before the polls, appealing the voters to consider the background and characteristic of the candidates before electing them, and that has been fruitful it would seem.
This was the high expectation from the local level governance that brought large number of woman voters to the polling stations which often seemed outnumbering their male counterparts at many booths. “Those who try to win by hook or crook are still doing the same. But the villagers are not falling for that trick again. The votes are being cast after taking into account the work done by PRI representatives elected in the last panchayat polls,” said Sukul Kumar Mehta of Kathartoli in Bero.
“Since the elections were declared in the region, the women of the village have been deliberating over who will be most appropriate candidate for the available posts. We have dropped our ballots on the names we decided thus,” said Saraswati Devi after casting her vote at a polling station in Bero.