Even as elections and candidates with better probability of winning elections have become talk of the town rural areas present contrasting picture with uncharacteristic lull in public discourse about elections and candidates. Interestingly, as campaigning is going full steam ahead there are certain pockets in Kanke Assembly constituency where voters don’t even know candidates in the poll fray.
Buzz about elections in Ranchi comes to a naught just 10-kms away from the capital where people are more occupied about their day-to-day work than who is going to win elections and who they shall vote for.
However the aloofness of voters about candidates contesting from Kanke stems from the aloofness of a candidate about voters who will be voting in elections. Even the most seasoned of all voters cannot recollect how many candidates are in poll fray and who are the candidates representing prominent parties.
“Jeetu Charan Ram is BJP’s candidate and some Baitha is Congress’ candidate. There are others also,” recollects 65-year-old Dasrath lohara of Bukru Nagri.
Not knowing a candidate may be a sin prima facie but absence of any political activity these days in the village which attracted politicians to draw mileage out of controversy surrounding land acquisition best explains the reason for the detachment from poll activities.
From Nagri to almost all villages situated along Ranchi-Patratu highway missing posters and banners of candidates besides any other form of publicity defies the seriousness which the candidates from Kanke exhibited at the time of filing nomination.
“You can ask anyone about candidates contesting from Kanke and I can assure you that apart from those who read newspapers no one else knows about candidates. Why should theyIJ They are disappointed that nobody cares about them and problems they are facing,” maintained Aanganwadi Sevika and a resident of the village, Philkaria Toppo.
Once a controversial hotspot, Nagri can be reached only after leaving pot-less highway and riding on the bumpy approach road which has not been repaired since time immemorial. Electricity stays just for 12-hours in a day however it is of no use as it shies away as soon as darkness engulfs the village of about 350 houses.
“All three basic requirements of bijli, paani and sadak are still unfulfilled. There are just four to five well dug by government and it caters to the need of entire village. Our children cannot study as light goes off in the morning and comes back at around midnight,” pointed out Toppo.
Travelling on the highway may give an inkling of better conditions in the hinterlands of the district but all positive feeling fades away as one moves off the smooth turf of the highway.
life is as bumpy as ever for people of Barhu village which is similar to Nagri in terms of problems faced by people.
Sans any posters and banners about candidates, voters are overly relaxed with no hope of getting their problems solved even if they vote. Nonetheless, they will vote.
“Hand pumps are not functioning and to get that repaired one has to go to Mukhiya. And the response has been always the same—there is no fund. Since the elections have been announced no one has come to us to even ask for votes, they won’t come after winning. There are two roads in this village and both are in extremely bad condition,” said 62-year-old Imtiyaz Ansari.
Villagers of Barhu and adjoining village, Semartoli surprisingly faintly remember names of Congress and BJP candidates and don’t even know who is from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and who is contesting on the ticket of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha.
“All I know is that BJP and Congress have fielded their candidates,” recollects Imran.
Notably, Kanke is scheduled to go to polls on December 9 but candidates’ posters and banners are yet to be noticeable.