This story is from April 19, 2019

Some vote for security, many for development

Some vote for security, many for development
A man accompanies two elderly women to a polling booth in Purnia
KISHANGANJ/PURNIA/KATIHAR: Polling in the three Lok Sabha constituencies of Kishanganj, Purnia and Katihar in Seemanchal region passed off peacefully on Thursday.
Katihar had the highest turnout of 68.20%, followed by 64.50% in Purnia and 64.10% in Kishanganj.
While Congress’s Tariq Anwar is in a triangular contest with Dulal Chand Goswami of JD(U) and Muhammad Shakur of NCP in Katihar, Purnia has a direct fight between Uday Singh alias Pappu Singh of Congress and sitting MP Santosh Kumar Kushwaha of JD(U).
There is a triangular contest in Kishanganj between Syed Mahmood Ashraf of JD(U), Dr Mohammad Javed of Congress and Akhtarul Iman of AIMIM.
Katihar Lok Sabha seat comprises six assembly segments of Katihar, Kadwa, Balrampur, Pranpur, Manihari and Barari. The constituency grabbed national headlines recently for Congress functionary Navjot Singh Siddhu’s appeal to the Muslims to unite and vote against PM Narendra Modi.
The electors were seen standing in long queues since early morning to exercise their franchise in these Muslim-dominated constituencies. Kishanganj has the highest Muslim population of over 60% in Bihar.
Nirmala Devi (74), who was among the last few voters at Dalanpurab panchayat bhawan polling booth in Katihar block, said, “Although I was not feeling strong enough to come and vote, I asked my son to take me here. My husband, who is no more, had developed this habit of voting in elections.”

Sanjay Kumar Choudhary (48) of Sirsa in Katihar block said development and security of the country were in his mind while voting today.
Polling personal at Dalanpurab panchayat bhawan booth said 505 males and 557 females exercised their franchise.
Rajesh Kumar Jha (23), who cast his vote at Rampur primary school booth said he wants better law and order and implementation of government schemes at grassroots level.
Gopal Mahaldar, a painter by profession, said he wanted government incentives for small skilled workers like him.
Mukesh Mohan Jha (45) of Rampur said he was satisfied with the prevailing development in the country and expected the new government to expedite it further.
Katihar was earlier considered to be a Congress bastion, but NCP’s Shakur said people were unhappy with Tariq, who had won the seat on NCP ticket in 2014 and joined the Congress recently.
Kishanganj, which is close to the Nepal and Bangladesh borders, has six assembly segments of Bahadurganj, Thakurganj, Kishanganj, Kochadhaman, Amour and Baisi.
Bijli Devi (65) from Lasanpur in Baisi assembly segment said she came to cast her vote despite swelling in her legs because she believed that every single vote counts.
Fatima Khatoon (55) at Belgachi in Baisi said she wants a government, which will not cause any harm to her community.
Bipin Kumar Jha, the presiding officer at the Belgachi panchayat bhawan booth said many women had come in the morning itself to exercise their franchise.
“I will cook after casting my vote,” said Nursabha Karbola (40).
Kishanganj was represented by Mohammad Asrarul Haque of Congress, who had defeated BJP’s Dilip Kumar Jaiswal by a margin of 1.94 lakh votes in the 2014 general election. He died last year.
“The contest is one-sided. People of Kishanganj had earlier voted for making a government at Delhi and Patna, but this time they are voting for Seemanchal region and its development,” said AIMIM nominee Iman.
Many locals claimed that Congress was in direct fight with AIMIM. A motley group of people at Lasanpur said Iman had an edge, but another group claimed that his victory would not serve any purpose as his party was not going to be part of the government at the Centre. They said Congress was in a better position in Kishanganj.
Barring sporadic incidents of glitches in electronic voting machines (EVM) for a short while at a few places, polling in Purnia was peaceful.
Purnia parliamentary constituency comprises six assembly segments of Kasba, Banmankhi, Rupauli, Dhamdaha, Purnia and Korha.
Polling personnel at many booths claimed that the queues were longer in the morning hours than in the afternoon due to heat.
Women were seen outnumbering male voters at several polling centres. A number of booths were also manned by women polling personnel only.
Aparna, the presiding officer at booth number 25 at customs office in Purnia town, said women were in majority among the voters who exercised their franchise.
Septuagenarian Gita Devi, at the same polling booth, said she has been voting for nearly four decades now. “Even one vote counts in elections,” she said.
Soni Devi (24), a first-time voter at Utkramit Middle School booth in Purnia Sadar said she wants security for women and the country from the next government.
While voters were excited, candidates in the fray kept their fingers crossed.
Outgoing Purnia MP Santosh visited a famous Kali Mandir in the town in the morning to seek blessings for his success. “I have come here to seek blessings for my people and for the region’s uplift,” he said.
When asked for his comments on Sindhu’s controversial remark to garner Muslim votes, Kushwaha said: “People from all sections of the society are with the NDA. People surely know that which government will bring development.”
Santosh is pitted against Uday, a former BJP MP who quit the saffron party in January after Purnia seat went to JD(U) in the seat-sharing arrangements among the NDA partners BJP, JD(U) and LJP. Later, he joined Congress.
Dinesh Paswan (62) from New Sipahi Tola in Purnia town said though the country needs Narendra Modi as the next PM, the Congress nominee is giving a tough fight to the NDA candidate here.
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