Bihar panchayat election result: A man contests and wins the poll after death, result to be nullified

Jamui (Bihar), Nov 27: A dead person has emerged victorious in a Panchayat election held on Wednesday. The truth of his death came to light when the officials were handing over certificates to candidates who won the polls held on November 24.

Sohan Murmu, who won ward no. 2 of Deepakarhar village, falling under Khaira block, failed to turn up before the officers when his name was called."On enquiry, we learnt that Murmu had died on November 6, more than a fortnight before voting took place", Khaira BDO Raghavendra Tripathi said with a sense of bewilderment.

The area happens to be a remote hamlet situated along the state's border with Jharkhand.

"Family members of Murmu, who defeated his rival by 28 votes, said it was the last wish of the deceased, who had been ailing, to win the election. So they kept quiet. No resident of the village informed us either. It appears that they all voted in his favour to honour his last wish", said the BDO.

However, the decision to elect a dead man result in more for for the officials. "The winner's certificate cannot be issued to anybody. We are going to write to the state election with the request that election for the ward concerned be nullified and fresh polls held", said Tripathi in a matter of fact way.

The place where real-life tragicomedy was detected in the impoverished district, is situated about 200 kms from the state capital and it has predominantly tribal population.

Old residents also recall that it was this village which was first hit by Naxal activity, in the 1990s, in the district that later became one of the worst infested by ultra-Left insurgency, according to a list published by the Union Home Ministry a few years ago. Nonetheless, Tripathi's account of what has happened suggests that the village and its residents retain an amazing simplicity, bordering on downright sentimentality. PTI