Maharashtra: To protest water woes, 12-villages to boycott LS bypoll
Residents of 12 villages, having a total population of nearly 30,000, in Bhandara district of Maharashtra have decided to boycott the upcoming Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha bypoll on May 28, after failing to get a response over their demand for water supply for irrigation and drinking. The villagers, under the aegis of a local-organization 'Bawanthadi Prakalp Sangharsh Samiti,' had passed a resolution on the same.
'Neither the administration nor the government looked into water crisis'
The Samiti's President, Balkrishna Gadhve, said they had submitted a memorandum to the District Collector in March demanding proper water supply under the government's 'Bawanthadi irrigation project'. However, neither the administration nor the government looked into the demands, Gadhve claimed. The Samiti staged a demonstration on March 23 and decided that all voters from 12 villages falling under Tumsar taluka will boycott the bypoll.
These 12 villages are boycotting the by-elections
The villages whose residents have decided to boycott the by-election are Ganeshpur, Pavnarkhari, Gobarwahi, Yedarbuchi, Sundartola, Sitasawangi, Gudri, Khandal, Sodhepur, Heti, Bhamnewada and Khairtola.
Administration will positively look into villager's demands: District Collector
Gondia District Collector Abhimanyu Kale, who is temporarily also holding the additional charge of Bhandara, said the administration will positively look into the demand of villagers. The by-election to Gondia-Bhandara Lok Sabha seat was necessitated after Nana Patole quit as the BJP MP and resigned from the ruling party to return to Congress. There are total 18 candidates who will fight for the seat.
