Dhar: No roads, no drinking water yet tribal's line at polling booths in hope of better future

Walking on foot for as much as eight-ten kilometres, tribals and villagers of the district were seen lining outside polling booths on Sunday to exercise their franchise in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Expressing unnerving faith in democracy, some villagers claimed that though they did not have even basic facilities like water and road they are casting their votes in large numbers.

One of the voter, Santosh Dawar who is pursuing MA said, "I am voting for development. We have acute water scarcity and women have to travel about 2 Kilometres for drinking water."

A 20-year-old village resident Suresh who was excited to cast his vote said, "My poll station is about 8-10 kilometres and I am going to vote. My village doesn't have water, the school is also very far and old. Road to the village is also in a very depleted condition."

Bhavna, a 21-year-old voter told ANI, "I am coming from seven kilometres to cast my vote. We have a lot of issues. I am hopeful that the person we will elect will work."

Another female voter Santu, said, "We are going to exercise our democratic franchise. There is no water in our village. We walk to the river every morning to fetch drinking water."

Majority of these voters belonged to the Bhil tribe and were living in different far-away areas of the forest and hills.

Polling for the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections began on Sunday in 59 seats spread across seven states and one Union Territory in the country. The counting of voting will begin on May 23.