In the fifth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024, over 2000 voters of Jharkhand’s Hazaribag district refused to cast their votes, demanding approval on their long-standing request for a bridge.
The election officials including, Hazaribag Deputy Commissioner Nancy Sahay and SP Arvind Kumar, visited the village to persuade them to vote but no single voter turnout since 7 AM.
The incident happened in Kusumbha village, under the Katkamdag police station, about 105 km from the state capital, Ranchi. This village is part of the Hazaribag Lok Sabha constituency.
By noon, no votes had been cast at booths 183 and 184, located at the Upgraded Middle School in Kusumbha.
“I have been here since 7 am, but no one has come to vote yet,” said Subodh Prasad Verma, the presiding officer of booth 184. He mentioned that there are 920 registered voters at his booth. “We will wait until 5 pm. We hope the voters will eventually come,” he added.
According to PTI, the villagers had been asking NTPC authorities for a bridge. However, NTPC is building an underpass, which the villagers find unsuitable for accessing drinking water, essential goods, medical services, and other needs.
Sahay mentioned that the district administration has been discussing these concerns with NTPC for the past few months.