RAIPUR: Deep within Chhattisgarh’s remote Bharatpur-Sonha t(ST) assembly constituency lies a unique corner of democracy.
Having only five persons as electors, the state's smallest polling booth and second smallest in the country is located in Koriya district.
The uniqueness of this constituency is that the two other polling stations — comprising 12 and 23 voters — are located on the hilly, forested, off-road terrain where polling parties navigate via tractors.
Constituencies in Koriya district in North Chhattisgarh will go to polls in the second phase on November 17.
A temporary polling booth is set up at Sheradand region, having the lowest five number of voters in the state, and polling parties will reach the station with polling material a day before polling, crossing several canals, rivers, Vinay Langeh, Koriya district collector and electoral officer, told TOI.
“The polling personnel will cover a distance of 120 kilometers from the distribution center, out of which, 15 kms will be covered through tractor and then three kilometers on foot, crossing a wide river and local nala surrounded by dense forest to reach the booth. Since there is no government infrastructure in the region, a temporary booth will be constructed during polling,” he said.
The five electors belong to Cherva tribe while in 2008 assembly elections, a polling booth was temporarily set up only for two voters and they are now no more.
The number of voters increased to three in 2013 and five in 2018 including the extended family of deceased two and another family that settled in.
The region is extremely backward, having the nearest Aanganwadi center about five kilometers far.
However, they have got tap water under ‘nal jal yojana’ and solar lights, but in lack of maintenance, they are non-operational.
Another polling booth Kanto falling under a unique category has twelve voters in Bharatpur-Sonhat constituency and has recently been in news after the handful of electors have called for a poll boycott complaining about the absence of basic facilities in the region.
Having only three families of local Gurjarcommunity in a remotely located region, Kanto residents complain of non-availability of drinking water, employment, electricity, and no roads to access neighboring places.
District electoral officer Langeh said that they have not received a single complaint earlier from this region, but as soon as the information reached him through local scribes, he sent teams to speak to the locals. He said, “We will ensure the villagers call off the boycott and vow to exercise their voting rights and the facilities will be provided after the model code of conduct is ineffective.”
A woman resident Bhagwati said that there was no drinking water available in the village and they have to depend on a canal, besides, no road and electricity had reached their village. Another Jirjodhan complained that they are contacted only during elections and then they are left alone.
According to a local scribe who managed to reach the village somehow, Kanto is located about 90 kilometers from district headquarters and in absence of an approach road to the village, the 35 kilometers non-motorable route covers dense forest and mudded pathways with no sign of humans for several miles. He said that it wasn’t possible to reach Kanto without assistance from a local person. However, the polling parties will reach there via pick-up vans and establish temporary polling booths.
The first-time polling booth in Kanto was introduced in 2008 after the delimitation process when it had eleven electors.
Rewala polling station having 23 electors, is another temporary booth having no direct road connectivity and the polling personnel will cover the total distance 70 kilometers from the distribution center, of which, 65 kilometers will be covered through mini truck and five kilometers on foot by crossing a river and dense reserve forest of Guru GhasidasNational Reserve forest, to reach a booth.