(News) Bundelkhand Votes for Development

Hoping that development will not be relegated to the background at the cost of politics, voters in the three districts of Bundelkhand -- Jhansi, Jalaun and Lalitpur -- turned up in large numbers at polling booths on Thursday. Lalitpur in fact topped the fifth phase with nearly 71% polling. Both Jhansi and Jalaun posted approximately 60%.

Enthusiasm was witnessed among women in Jhansi Sadar constituency which is witnessing a keen contest between Congress's Brijendra Kumar Vyas and Ravi Sharma of BJP. SP and BSP have fielded Asfan Siddiqui and Sitaram Kushwaha respectively. In 2007 Pradeep Aditya Jain won this seat for Congress, but BSP's Kailash Sahu wrested the seat in the bypoll which took place after Jain became an MP and subsequently a Union minister. Jain, who came to the city to vote, said that first-time voters have jacked up the polling percentage.

Voters said that the need of the hour is holistic development of the region as a whole. Housewife, Seema Kaushik, who had come to cast her vote at a polling station in a school in Jhansi city said that better facilities for girls in Bundelkhand is what is essentially needed.

The city, for long, has been subject of discussion after it was projected as the de facto capital of Bundelkhand region. Voters, however, said that the status of a separate state has been nothing but politics. Though, quite a few said that a separate state would bring prosperity to the cities in the region. Interestingly, Jhansi Sadar is also the seat from where actor-turned-politician Raja Bundela is contesting as a candidate of Bundelkhand Congress. Babina constituency in Jhansi too witnessed a huge turnout of voters who sought change for better development of the constituency which has bad roads lack of other basic facilities. The seat, which was a reserved one till 2007, when BSP's Ratan Lal Ahirwar won it, has been reserved this time. Sanjeev Yadav, a voter, said, "I want change, a positive and developing one." Significantly, BSP here too changed its candidate and replaced Ahirwar with Krishnapal Singh Rajput. He is being challenged by Rajendra Singh Yadav of Congress, Chandrapal Singh Yadav of SP and Shyam Sunder Singh of BJP.

Change, if not anti-incumbency, appeared playing its role in Mauranipur constituency that was won by BSP in 2007 assembly elections. Voters said that they were unsatisfied the way the constituency was served. ``All political parties do blame each other but ultimately it is us who suffer. I would like to vote for a candidate who will improve quality of life of people in the area,'' said Rajeev Arjaria, who had come to cast his vote for the first time.

No wonder BSP changed its candidate here also, replacing its sitting MLA Bhagwati Prasad Sagar with Rajendra Ahirwar. He faces a tough competition from Paragilal Ahirwar of BJP and Biharilal Arya of Congress.

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Courtesy: timesofindia.com