Bhojpur abuzz & everyone’s happy

BHOJPUR: Unprecedented voting in Bhojpur has enthused both BJP and Congress, each claiming it’s in their favour. Congress veteran Suresh Pachouri, who has been a member of Rajya Sabha member for four terms, hopes it will propel him to the assembly for the first time. But BJP supporters are positive it’s a vote for Shivraj Singh Chouhan government and sitting MLA Surendra Patwa will win. Pachouri had lost by 20,000 votes to Patwa in 2013 and is hoping to even the score.

“It’s obviously a vote for change. People are thronging polling booths to vote out Shivraj Singh Chouhan government,” said Congress leader Atul Sharma, an election agent for Pachouri, in Amoda village.

BJP spokesperson Krishna Gopal Pathak, standing outside the polling booths at Obedullahganj janpad panchayat office, said:: “Heavy voting doesn’t necessarily mean vote against the government. I can vouch that 90% voters who are in queue have benefited from one or the other scheme of the government. They will vote for Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP.”

Voting was brisk all day, with VVPATs running smoothly. Booth-level officer (BLO) at a booth in Mandideep, Sanjay Agrawal, said that 300 of 830 voters had cast their ballot by 1pm. In another half-an-hour, president of Mandideep Municipality, Badri Yadav, who was Pachouri’s polling agent, said 50% voting was over in 26 wards of the industrial township. By the time, TOI reached Obedullahganj, it was 2.20pm and polling at the three booths in Janpad panchayat office was already 65%.

Harun Singh, who had come with a plastered foot, refused offers of a wheelchair. “No, no. I can walk,” he said. “It’s good that you have a wheelchair, though.”