Disillusionment with successive governments and fearf of Maoists, who had given a call to boycott the Jharkhand Assembly elections, saw to it that not a single vote was cast in 12 booths in the tribal-dominated Arki block in Tamar (ST) constituency.

Incidentally, Arki is home to Kundan Pahan, the most-wanted Maoist rebel in Jharkhand. It went to polls in the second phase on Wednesday.

More than 6,000 tribal voters were registered in the 12 booths that did not register a single vote. The areas under the booths are remote and underdeveloped, with no signs of electricity, roads or potable water. The villages covered by the booths include Barigarha, the birthplace of Pahan, who is wanted by the police for several killings among other crimes.

?The election makes no sense to these tribals who were compelled to live in the stone age with terrorists like Pahan out to sell the dream of revolution,? said Nirmal Munda, a school teacher. He is a voter in Tamar.

Prakash Manjhi, an advocate, said he too boycotted the polling on Wednesday. ?To me, it is like voting for someone who is out to fatten his belly. I don?t want to be a party to this farce,? he said. Manjhi lives in Arki, where Pahan?s writ runs.

Another section of tribals feels that the poll boycott is not the way to express ire against the government. ?After all, it is we who have to elect our representative who should be honest and committed to our cause,? said Dhanuk Singh Munda, a tribal chieftain.

In the second phase of polling for 14 Assembly seats, 4,315 booths were set up. Barring zero per cent polling in 12, 7 and 8 booths in Arki, Dumri and Giridih respectively, the polling percentage varied between 22 and 98%. ?This has once again proved that the Maoists hold sway in a very small area. Even within their area most people did not vote solely due to fear of getting lynched,? said IG VH Deshmukh.

No show

* Arki is home to Kundan Pahan, the most-wanted Maoist rebel in Jharkhand

* More than 6,000 tribal voters were registered in the 12 booths that did not register a single vote.

* The areas under the booths are remote and underdeveloped, with no signs of electricity, roads or potable water