Villagers boycott Panchayat bypoll

Badwani, MP, June 2 (UNI) For the fourth time in a row, residents of Dhanora village in Badwani block panchayat have boycotted the byelection to fill up vacancies in the three-tier panchayat, official sources said.

No nominations for the June 12 polling had been filed till last date, sources said.

The boycott was to protest reservation of the post of Sarpanch for tribal woman and seven of the total 14 posts of Panchs though the Yadavs and Dhangars outnumbered ST category people in the village.

District Collector Arun Tiwari said necessary action would be taken in view of the poll boycott for the fourth time in a row.

The village had only three tribal families and they were declared ineligible to contest polls as they faced criminal charge.

In such a situation, reservation remained meaningless and all 15 posts remained vacant, the villagers said.

UNI