Nabarangpur/Dhenkanal: Four villages, two each in Nabarangpur and Dhenkanal districts boycotted Friday the second phases of the three-tier panchayat polls in Odisha as their demands had remained unfulfilled, sources said.
Residents of Baradajodi and Ladipadar villages under Tentulikhunti Panchayat stayed away from the polling booths. Booths were set up at the Baradajodi village, for the inhabitants of the two villages. However, not a single eligible voter was seen casting his/her vote. They said that they had boycotted the polls as the district administration had failed to provide amenities like roads, drinking water and electricity in the two villages.
Source said that Tentulikhunti BDO-cum-polling officer Duryodhan Bhoi had visited the two villages Thursday evening. He had requested the residents to cast their votes Friday. But despite his request all the villagers stayed away from the booth. The villagers asserted that they will not cast votes till their demands are met.
Similarly, voters of Durgaprasad village and Mahulapunji village in Dhenkanal district allegedly stayed away from exercising their franchise. Inhabitants of Durgaprasad village boycotted the polls as their demand of granting revenue status to their village had not been met. Mahulapunji villagers did not exercise their franchise protesting over a poultry farm in the village.
Polling in many other villages across Odisha in the second phase of the panchayat elections was affected due to various.
Media reports said that voting was halted midway in booth No.5 of Badbalikuda Gram Panchayat in Jajpur district over alleged irregularities in the symbol of a ward member candidate.
As per the data released by the State Election Commission (SEC), about 43 per cent of voter turnout was recorded till 12 noon in Odisha.