Peeved with promises, many may skip voting

JODHPUR: When the people of Sector 17 of Chopasni Housing Board in Ward 3 here decided to boycott the municipal elections on Thursday, it sent a strong message that the councilors have not risen up to the expectations of the people of their respective wards.
This is not an isolated case. Since the candidates have embarked on campaigning spree, people in many wards have threatened to boycott the elections unless the perpetual problems of their areas were solved.
Surprisingly in the last elections, many problems which were not solved despite knocking on many doors, were solved by the power hungry candidates without delay fearing loss in election. This time, some of these candidates also include those who have been contesting for the second term, but kept a persistent blind eye towards the civic mess.
Two days back, people of the Sindhi Colony area also forced the BJP leaders to repair the long broken road in their locality threatening boycott of the election. Similar was the condition in Ward 10, Ward 11, Ward 13, Ward 23 and Ward 24, etc., where people forced the BJP leaders and candidates to address their long-pending woes pertaining to sewerage, roads, lights, etc.
As a matter of fact, the BJP, which has put in all its might to wrest the board from Congress, stands on weaker ground this election as no developmental work has taken place in Jodhpur since the change of government. Even the attempts of the leader of opposition (JMC) Ganesh Bijani and MLA Kailash Bhansali to draw the attention of government to this negligence of Jodhpur ended up in a rejoinder to them from government.
But given the pressure on BJP to wrest the power at JMC, its leaders somehow convinced the contractors of JDA to call off their two-month-long strike assuring their outstanding payments in one month, done with a sheer eye on election and to get them to carry out some road repairing work.
Former minister and BJP’s mayoral candidate Rajendra Gehlot, however, refused to relate the development with the election. “It had nothing to do with the election. They had been sitting on strike in demand of their payment and we assured them to get it done in a month,” said Gehlot.
On the other hand, Congress is keeping an eye on the misuse of power by BJP to influence voters. “They did not do anything in the past one year and now they are doing everything to influence the voters,” said Jugal Kabra, acting PCC president.
But the people of Jodhpur are confused weather to believe BJP to ensure a link in central-state-city government (all BJP government) for speedy development or not, like they did in the last election by linking central Congress to state and to city by voting to form Congress’ board.