Jharkhand: Dumka voters boycott polls

Over 400 people in a village in Jharkhand’s Dumka district boycotted voting on Saturday to protest against the construction of a coal dumping yard.

A total of 426 voters did not exercise their franchise at booth number 94 in Bagdubhi village, a part of the Dumka Lok Sabha constituency.

“Out of 430 voters enrolled in the booth, only four electors have exercised their franchise till 3 pm,” Dumka Circle Officer Amar Kumar told news agency PTI.

He said the villagers have been protesting against the construction of the Railways’ coal dumping yard.

Sub-divisional Officer Ajay Kumar held a meeting with the villagers and assured them of raising the issue with higher authorities. However, they did not agree to vote.

A representative of the village, Lakshman Soren, told PTI, “We made it clear that if the SDO gives us an assurance in writing to stop the construction of the yard, we will go to cast our votes. But we were not given any such assurance.”