Pune: Remote Talmachiwadi cast just 4 votes in 2014

PUNE: Sitting precariously in the hilly terrain, Talmachiwadi, a village in Junnar taluka in Pune district close to Malin, is a case in study for election officials. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, just four of the 232 registered electors cast their votes.
Election officials said two other polling booths were identified in the district. They were in Purandar assembly segment in Baramati parliamentary constituency.
Talmachiwadi with a population of 600 was identified as a landslide-prone zone. The residents had demanded rehabilitation and proper houses in early 2014. When they were ignored, the village, under the Shirur parliamentary constituency, boycotted the elections.

The government later sanctioned 100 houses to be constructed on an adjacent plot, but only 17 have been built, so far. Meanwhile, the villagers continue to live in the landslide zone. This time, the villagers feel that boycotting the elections will not help. They have decided to vote with some coaxing from the district election officials.
"The last time, we did not vote in protest. This time, we will vote. But we are not hoping for anything to change immediately,'' said Vishnu Sable, a villager from Nimgiri, about 8-10km away.
He is among the few with an education. Sable told TOI that no political party has reached out to them and there has been no campaigning even though the elections are close by.
“Politicians have ignored us. I had personally put forward our issues to the sitting MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil but there is no progress. We have made voters aware of the candidates this time,’’ Sable added.
Booth level officer Popat Bhaunaigodi, a teacher from the area, said they have been educating the villagers about voting. ‘The district election office decided to focus on this area as it saw the lowest voter turn out,’’ he said.
Research expert C Bhujbal, who has analysed low voter turn out in parliamentary elections, said people don’t vote as their names are missing. Some villages had boycotted elections over land acquisition.
“The overall voting percentage is low for parliamentary elections. When the issues affect villagers badly, they decide not to vote. However, when candidates do not reach out to the voters, the disconnect widens,’’ he told TOI.
Returning officer for Shirur R Kale said his team has conducted training sessions about the voting process in the village.
“BLOs have met the villagers. A polling booth will be set up in the local school,’’ he added.