Villagers boycott polls over demand for bridges

PHULBANI: Votes were cast for 36 each of Sarpanch and Samiti member and five Zilla Parishad member posts in Balliguda, K Nuagaon and Tikabali blocks of Kandhamal district, on Monday.However, the villagers of Pukulungia, Pajimaha, Malasuga and Gambheriguda under Pikaradi panchayat of Tikabali block boycotted the polls protesting non-construction of two bridges. They also rued absence of proper roads in the villages. Elsewhere in Kanjamendi village under K Nuagaon block, villagers could not exercise their franchise as names were found missing from the electoral rolls.The polling in all the blocks, however, was peaceful with no untoward incidents being reported from the 123 hyper-sensitive booths in the blocks. In the first phase, out of the five ZP zones the Congress has a lead in four with BJP ahead in one.