Vadodara residents may boycott polls

Lack of basic amenities in Ajwa Road, Manjalpur, Ektanagar localities

Voters of the Ajwa Road locality and a couple of other localities of Vadodara have threatened a boycott of the forthcoming parliamentary polls as their longstanding demands for basic amenities have not been met.

Interestingly, the poll boycott campaign is being spearheaded by a local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) itself.

Irked by the fact that the authorities have not been able to provide basic facilities like good roads, drinking water, drainage facilities and street lights, residents of about 33 localities of Ajwa Road have threatened not to vote for the April 20 election.

There are about 50,000 voters from Ajwa Road. Similar refrains of boycotting polls have also risen from Manjalpur, Ektanagar and Chacha Nehru Nagar localities.

At a time when the fight between the BJP and the Congress looks to be closer than was predicted, these voters either abstaining en masse or casting their vote in favour of the Congress, could be one of the deciding factors of the outcome.

Says Santosh Thakkar, who was the Youth Wing president of the BJP in the city and who is still the ward president - "They (the authorities) did practically nothing to provide the Ajwa Road area with basic facilities. There are no street light although poles have been erected, drainage and drinking water facilities are poor and the main road is filled with potholes".

Thakkar added that while he and his 400 to 500 ardent followers will not prevent people of the area from casting their vote, it appears as if the voters from the area have decided to teach the politicians a lesson.

"This is not a political issue for us. It is a civic issue as we want better facilities". He added that he has still not resigned from the BJP and it remains to be seen what action the BJP takes for his deciding to adopt a tough posture. But Congress candidate Satyajit Gaekwad would love to see this as an election issue.

"The people of Vadodara are fed up with Jayaben Thakkar, as she has done absolutely nothing for the city and its residents. He added the disgruntlement in Ajwa Road, along with other areas was bound to happen.

Like Ajwa Road, there are some 25,000 odd voters in Manjalpur area and a similar number in Ektanagar area who have made it clear that they will stay away from the polling booths on April 20.

Although this is a civic issue, it could well be an embarrassment for the BJP, as voters threaten to boycott a parliamentary election, thereby adversely affecting the chances of the BJP candidate.

Residents of Ajwa Road have a common voice. "They come here to seek votes only before the election. We want proper roads, drinking water, drainage facilities and street lights. Why can these not be provided in time," questioned Mahesh Dattani, a resident.

If the margin between winning and losing the prestigious Vadodara seat boils down to a few thousands, local civic issues like roads, water, streetlights and drainage, could well decide which way the seat goes.