Party cadres will reach the settlement with alcohol and meat a day before polls

Siraha, December 3

The second round of provincial and parliamentary elections is being held after three days, but no candidate has yet reached Dalit settlements in Siraha seeking votes.

Poll candidates seem to have ignored Dalit settlements as it has less population and candidates have got limited time for election publicity campaigns. Most of the candidates have spent their time meeting high profile people and other villagers to ensure their victory in elections.

Candidates have yet to reach Musahar settlements of Dhobiyadhar in Golbazaar Municipality.

Sibu Sada, 46, a local, said no candidate had reached the village seeking votes. Sada added that no one had come to teach them how to cast ballot.

Similarly, Sonafi Paswan also said candidates had not reached village to woo voters. “Election rallies, meetings and programmes take place almost daily in the nearby bazaar, but not in our village,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dalit leaders said poll candidates did not reach their settlement due to their superstitious belief.

Binod Kumar Bisunke from Lahan Municipality said candidates did not visit Dalit settlements even though staffers from the Election Commission and other organisations had reached the settlements for voter education. “Candidates’ representatives will reach the settlement with alcohol and meat to lure voters just one day before the election,” he said.

There are 344,370 voters in Siraha and as many as 221 polling stations and 436 voting centres have been set up for the second phase of polls. The Dalit population in the district is around 150,000.