Majority of the villages in the constituency face acute water scarcity. While there has been a spree of infrastructure development projects, roads laid a few months ago have developed pot holes due to shoddy work. Public health services have deteriorated to such extent that people fear to approach government hospitals for the fear of contracting diseases.
Distress migration
Agriculture has become a non-profitable venture with no permanent source of irrigation. Scanty rains have resulted in alarming depletion of ground water. There has been no employment avenues as well. Not even a single industrial unit providing jobs for the local people has been set up in the taluk so far. Migration to cities in search of jobs has become a common phenomenon. All this, amid tall claims of government releasing crores of rupees for the constituency. However, there has been palpable change in the ground situation. Voters will exercise their franchise for the second time in a span of two and half years.
The candidates may have a tough time convincing otherwise “reticent” voters during the bypoll. That there has been change in the plight over the last two and half years has become a sore point with the electorate. The voters are now looking at a candidate who knows the “ground realities” and can provide a solution to them.
The bypoll was necessitated as the elected representative Narayanaswamy (Congress) hopped to the ruling BJP. He is now contesting the bypoll as a BJP candidate. The Congress contestant will file nomination on March 21 and the JD(S) is yet to finalise its candidate. The election is scheduled for April 9.
Voter inducement
Meanwhile, it is said an aspirant has already distributed three kg jaggery, two kg of dal, five kg rice and Rs 500 to voters. It is estimated that a sum of Rs six lakh has been spent for this purpose per village. Voters have been said to swear their allegiance.
However, voters would be deceiving themselves by giving into allurements. Elections provide an opportunity to exercise their choices and any wrong choice would result in perpetuation of their misery.