Elections 2019: Low Voter Turnout in Shrawasti, People Disillusioned

Shrawasti (Uttar Pradesh): Shrawasti, known as one of the most backward and underdeveloped districts of Uttar Pradesh, recorded lowest voter turnout on Sunday during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls.

Fed up with the abysmal state of roads and lack of overall development, villagers of Fatenagra from Shrawasti Lok Sabha constituency boycotted the polls. On the other hand, a large number of minority voters did not find their names in the voter list.

Saleem Siddiqui, a senior journalist based in Balrampur, told NewsClick, “If compared to 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it was a very low turnout. It was 54% last time, but this time, it was 51.41%. Firstly, names of many minority voters from Balrampur and Shrawasti district were missing from the voter list. Secondly, traditional voters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were not seen as excited as they were in 2014, and then, there was this scorching heat. But the arithmetic of today’s turnout suggests that the Gathbandhan has an edge over BJP here.”

Flood in Shrawasti

NewsClick visited many villages of Balrampur and Shrawasti district, which fall under this constituency, and came across only bumpy roads and villages in dark. As the monsoon is expected to arrive next month, people here are afraid that the Rapti river will overflow, crossing the danger mark. Over 100 villages face flood every year, and the villagers are forced to live on the rooftops of their houses.

“I have 10-bigha land, and I sow wheat, paddy and peppermint. But the flood ruins everything. The river is flooded twice a year, but the one in June-July is devastating. I have never received any compensation from the government,” said Mata Prasad from Katra market, Gulehria gram panchayat.

“When our fields were flooded last year, our lentil crop was destroyed. Some officials from the government had come to us, and had said that they’ll give us a compensation worth Rs 2,000. Months have passed, and we have received nothing,” he added.

Another farmer, Shesh Ram, said that during Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav’s regime, the situation was much better. “We got fertilisers and medicines for the field. During floods, every farmer got compensation of Rs 10,000. However, since Yogi Adityanath has come to power, farmers have nothing else but the menace created by stray cows,” he said.

Demand for a proper bridge

The villagers told NewsClick that they had been demanding a bridge on the Rapti river, but in the past 70 years, not a single leader – including sitting BJP MP Daddan Mishra – could fulfil their demand. As a result, the locals themselves have constructed a wooden bridge on the river.

Villagers claimed that due to Rapti river, over two lakh people are disconnected from Sharvasti district.

Shesh Ram told NewsClick, “Due to the flood, Mathura Bazar, Sirsiya Bazar, Laxampur and hundreds of other villages are affected and disconnected. More than one lakh people will benefit if the government constructs a pucca bridge.”

Phullun Nishad, Gram Pradhan of Rajghar Gulehria, told NewsClick, “Every year, Bagha, Dingurajot and Jogiya Kala of Shrawasti district are affected because of the flood. On the other side of the wooden bridge, Fattupur Tanja, Jagatapur, Chedipurwa, Jodhipurwa, Mathura Bazar, Pakdela, Lasora and Guhiv Purw are affected.”

“We had asked our sitting BJP MP, Daddan Mishra, to make a pucca bridge. Last year, ahead of the rains, a junior engineer had also come for inspection, and had told us that it will be complete by 2019. But it was just a dream,” added Nishad.

The villagers cross the wooden bridge on their bikes, auto-rickshaws, which is extremely risky.

A vendor, who crosses the wooden bridge frequently, told NewsClick, “I get scared when I am crossing the bridge. It feels like it can collapse at any moment.”

Ram Balak Nishad, a farmer, told NewsClick, “We are living in the 21st century, but our village still doesn’t have proper road connectivity. The irony is that we have to cross a wooden bridge to go to other villages, or have to use a boat. We have been deprived of even basic facilities by the ruling government. No one has even bothered to visit the village in the last few decades.”

Also read: Elections 2019: Likely BJP Rout in 6th Phase, Gathbandhan Far Ahead Overall