Rajasthan bypoll: In Baran's Sankli village, silence at polling booth speaks of decades of neglect

Baran (Rajasthan), Nov 11 (PTI) While voters queued up at booths across Rajasthan's Anta Assembly constituency on Tuesday, a small village remained eerily silent. In Sankli, only a single vote was cast - not out of apathy, but as a mark of anger and despair.

The 763-odd residents of this remote Baran district village decided to boycott the bypoll, saying they were tired of waiting for basic amenities that never came.

"All five roads connecting Sankli to nearby villages get submerged during every monsoon. For days, we remain cut off from the outside world," said Vinod Meena, a resident.

At the centre of the protest is what villagers call decades of neglect.

"There is no proper road even to the cremation ground," said Sonu, another local. "When someone dies, carrying the body through the muddy, broken path becomes a painful journey." Hariom, a farmer, said the decision to boycott was not impulsive. "We have submitted memorandums and met officials several times. Even before this election, we warned the administration that if our demands aren't met, we won't vote," he said.

On Tuesday, the village polling station stood empty - ballot boxes untouched, polling officials waiting in vain. The silence in Sankli was a stark reminder that democracy, for many in rural India, still begins with a road.

Officials said voting elsewhere in the constituency remained peaceful, with turnout gradually increasing through the day. PTI COR AG MPL MPL