“No candidate visited our village seeking our votes. But we are all responsible citizens, and we vote without fail”, said Kiran, a graduate, at Doddamatti village in Shivamogga taluk.
Of the total 249 voters in this village of about 60 houses, 180 had voted by 2 p.m. The voters’ response has been highly impressive in the village in all the elections.
“Despite many difficulties, a good number of youths in the village have completed graduation. However, the government and elected representatives hardly give attention to the development of the village,” said Kiran, who works for a private firm in Udupi.
The village falls within the limits of Shivamogga Rural assembly constituency. None of the candidates representing major political parties visited the village to seek votes. A former MLA, who later became a candidate, did visit the village three months ago. Since the election process began, nobody has visited. When journalists visited the polling booth in the village, there were hardly any political workers. The officers said there had been smooth voting.
The village is located amidst a reserved forest near Kumsi. Children in the village have to travel to Kumsi for high school. With no road or transport facilities, parents send their children to hostels. “We do not have road, bus, or mobile network connectivity. Despite repeated demands, none of these has been fulfilled”, said Govindappa, a resident. The villagers are worried about repeated encounters with wild animals.
