Residents of nearly 12 villages in the district have decided to boycott the upcoming Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bypoll, after failing to get a response over their demand for proper irrigation facilities.
The villagers, under the aegis of 'Bawanthadi Prakalp Sangharsh Samiti', a local organisation, earlier passed a resolution at a gram sabha meeting to boycott every election in their area, including the Bhandara-Gondiya bypoll scheduled on May 28, if their demand was not met.
The samiti's president, Balkrishna Gadhve, said in March this year they had submitted a memorandum to the district collector, demanding proper water supply to these villages under the government's 'Bawanthadi irrigation project'.
However, the administration and the government did not care to look into the demands, Gadhve claimed.
Subsequently, the samiti staged a demonstration on March 23 at Gobarwahi village and later decided that all voters from the 12 villages, falling under the Tumsar taluka, will boycott the bypoll, he said.
The villages whose residents have decided to boycott the byelection are Ganeshpur, Pavnarkhari, Gobarwahi, Yedarbuchi, Sundartola, Sitasawangi, Gudri, Khandal, Sodhepur, Heti, Bhamnewada and Khairtola.
The samiti's vice president, Sharad Khobragade, said the 12 villages—having a total population of nearly 30,000—were facing problems due to lack of proper water supply for irrigation and drinking purposes.
Gondiya District Collector Abhimanyu Kale, who is temporarily holding the additional charge of Bhandara, told reporters that the administration will look positively into the demand of villagers.
The byelection to Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat was necessitated after Nana Patole quit as the BJP MP and resigned from the ruling party to return to the Congress.
There are total 18 candidates in the fray, but a direct contest is likely between the BJP's Hemant Patle and the NCP's Madhukarrao Kukde, a former BJP legislator from the Tumsar Assembly seat.
The Bhandara-Gondiya seat is one of two Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra having bylections on May 28; the other is Palghar. A byelection is also scheduled to be held for the Assembly constituency of Palus Kadegaon on the same day; the Congress' Vishwakeet Kadam is expected to win comfortably in the constituency as the BJP candidate has withdrawn. Counting of votes in all three contests will be held on May 31.