Villagers in Balsa Khurd (Dist. Parbhani) boycott voting as no development works done despite repeated assurance

Voting begins after the District Collector intervenes

Balsa Khurd (Dist. Parbhani) – Voting process took place on 26th April across 8 Lok Sabha constituencies of the State including Parbhani. However, 1,295 villagers of Balsa Khurd chose to boycott the voting process. Even after 11 a.m., not a single villager had cast their vote. Finally, Collector Raghunath Gawde rushed to the village and assured the villagers that, “We will consider your demands. Once the elections are finished, we will find a way, but the villagers should vote 100%.” Post this assurance, late in the afternoon, the villagers started casting votes.

The villagers had apprised the District administration of the issues plaguing their village. Additionally, they had issued a warning to the District administration, stating that if the problems remained unaddressed, they would boycott the voting process. Despite this cautionary notice, the Collector failed to take any action.

Editorial Perspective

Responsible authorities must be held accountable for their failure to fulfill their duties, especially when repeatedly petitioned by the people.