THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Nov 18: It’s a lukewarm response to the day of counting November 23 when votes polled for 86 candidates in all the five assembly constituencies of Palamu would be counted along with the state-wide such counting of votes in 23 other districts.
Everyone knows poll results will be out on November 23. There is no ecstasy among the public in general. The public is more stung by the price of the onion, garlic and green chilli which continue to be static at 80, 400 rupees and 100 rupees per kilogram for many days.
DC warns against celebratory firing
District Election Officer (DEO) cum Deputy Commissioner Shashi Ranjan has meanwhile asked people to refrain from any ‘Hursh Firing’ (celebratory firing) in the victory procession as anyone found indulging in such an aberration will be dealt with very firmly and stringently under the provisions of law of the land.
“Don’t do such a stupid act. You don’t know the fallout of it. You will lose your licence and weapon both. So, stay cool in the victory procession. Enjoy victory but don’t tarnish it with any act detrimental to the public order and tranquillity,” admonished the DC Shashi Ranjan.
There is already cancellation of 21 arms licences on charge of violations of the Arms Act. The licence of arms of a woman is also cancelled. The cancellation of licences of arms included rifle, single barrel breach shotguns and double-barrel breach shotguns.
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The Jharkhand Story correspondent has by now ‘flooded with the name of five winners, one each in every of the five assembly constituencies’ but maintaining a high standard of public confidence in this digital news portal, the Jharkhand Story refrains from making any ‘disclosure of any of the five names predicted for victory by the over-enthusiastic people.’
The Jharkhand Story is more concerned about why the young voters are so indifferent. Their indifference was seen on the day of polling. It’s evident here again as the days for November 23 counting nears.
Youth disillusionment with elections
A group of young voters told this correspondent “We feel saddened.” They listed their frustrations. It’s university exams, results, uncertainty of competitive exams and their joblessness.
“First our university exams are not held in time. Marks are saleable. Results are delayed.” they said in chorus.
On being asked as to why you young voters remained so cool towards polling, they shot back “Does the administration ever involve university or college to prepare us mentally to vote? No. We hear it in the street that we are to vote. Our college ambassadors are bogus. Go and find out. There are some college ambassadors who have not voted themselves when they were chosen to prepare other eligibles to vote. It’s all a big sham.”
One of the young voters lobbed a question to this correspondent asking for the ‘issue of battery of the EVM as to why its consumption is not in tune with the number or times it was in use as when we use our phones our battery charge percentage starts diminishing whereas the battery of the EVM shows no such consumption even when put to use from 7 am to 5 pm with some minutes off when there is no voter around.”
The Jharkhand Story correspondent asked the young questioner to visit the ECI site to be convinced that there is no relation of the battery to the outcome of the polling as the ECI has made this very clear that there is no truck between the votes cast and the voltage of the EVM. The young questioner’s appearance looked unsure of it.
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The lean period from November 14 to 18 (as silent period begins 48 hours ahead of the polling, the second phase of which is on November 20 in Jharkhand) saw many JMM men camping and campaigning for Kalpana Soren in the Gandey assembly constituency.
Avinash Dev, the chairman of the St Mariam’s School on his return from Gandey assembly constituency where he worked day and night for Kalpana Soren said “The election there is interesting. Our Kalpana madam stands a fair chance. She has galvanized the election all over the state.”
