All 682 candidates withdraw nomination in Gaya's Dumaria block

The candidates have withdrawn their nomination on their own free will, Dumaria's Block Development Officer (BDO) Anil Kumar said. He, however, could not explain the reason behind withdrawal of all candidates from the forthcoming panchayat polls in the panchayats under Dumaria block.

The candidates, who withdrew their candidature, included 218 for the post of panchs, 248 for ward members, 133 for panchayat committees and 83 for mukhias. While all 682 candidates in fray for various posts in nine panchayats have withdrawn their candidature, no candidate had filed nomination for any post in two panchayats - Sahchar and Mangia - under Dumaria block.

It may be mentioned that the proscribed naxal outfit, the CPI(Maoists), has given a boycott call of the panchayat polls and has put up banners and posters at several places to remind the people and prospective candidates about its diktats.

In the past, the CPI(Maoists) ultras had assaulted the candidates and their kins for their participation in the panchayat polls. Incidently, Dumaria block falls under Imamganj assembly seat being represetned by the Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary.