No development, no vote: Vexed electorates from across country to boycott polls

Feeling betrayed over false promises made by several governments, people from various parts of the country have decided to boycott the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

Residents of Jagat Bandhu Lane, a colony situated in the middle of Silchar city, are boycotting the Lok Sabha polls. Locals say they are facing water problem for the last eight years and administration has not done anything to resolve the issues they are facing.

A resident of colony Deepak Nag said, "There are around 5000 people here who are going to boycott Lok Sabha polls. We have water motors in our homes but still we do not get water. This problem is there for the past 8 years. And for the last seven months, we have not got even a drop of water. We will boycott the polls. We do not like any leader."

According to locals, Congress leader and Silchar MP Sushmita Dev barely visits the constituency and discusses people's problems.

"We are fighting to get water. Whenever we protest outside the Municipal Board, they provide us water for two stops then stop the supply. How many days will we go there? We have also approached our MLA but he says that we have to manage our problem and he cannot do anything," a local resident Manik Dev said.

Deprived of basic facilities, people of Chhattisgarh's Dokda village are also miffed with the government authorities and have decided to abstain from exercising their franchise.

The locals asserted that until their village is provided with proper infrastructure, they would not caste vote.

"We are living here for four decades but we do not have any road to go outside our village. We face problems during rainy season. We have to take patients on our shoulders for three kilometres to reach primary health centre. Students face problems too. This is why we are boycotting the elections," a local of Dokda Robert Tikri said.

Similarly, in a village situated in Jharkhand's Giridih parliamentary constituency, fed up with constant fire incidents in Bokaro's coal mine area, electorates have pledged not to vote.

Locals say that they are suffering from severe health problems due to smoke caused by coal fire.

"If the government cannot find a solution, then why will we vote when we are dying?" a local said.

Lok Sabha polls are taking place in seven phases and the second phase of voting will be done in April 18.