Voters brave rivers and hills to cast ballots in Surguja Lok Sabha constituency

Voters in Chhattisgarh's Balrampur district trekked hills, crossed rivers, and even rode a horse to cast their ballots in the Lok Sabha elections, with the Surguja Lok Sabha constituency recording 74.59% turnout. Particularly vulnerable tribal groups and Naxal-affected areas also saw significant participation, despite security concerns.

Enthusiastic voters reached polling booths trekking steep hilly paths, crossing a river and even on a horse to cast their votes in remote areas of the tribal-dominated Balrampur district in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, officials said.

Balrampur district falls under the Surguja Lok Sabha constituency which was among seven seats where polling was held in third and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state.

The Surguja Lok Sabha recorded 74.59 per cent voting, as per the Turnout application.

Voters, belonging to Pahadi Korva, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, including Rajesh, Madan, Sukhu, Gopal and Nandlal, crossed a river to exercise their franchise at a polling booth in village panchayat Amera under the Samri assembly constituency, a government official said.

Similarly, electors, including Lakhan Nagesia, Sahu, Phulsai and Kalesh of Bachwar village under the Ramanujganj assembly constituency walked through hilly terrain for about two hours covering 8 kms to reach a polling booth and cast their vote, he said.

A voter, Parimal Dey, reached a polling booth in Sagarpur village under the Ramanujganj assembly seat on a horse, the official said.

Dey is a cattle rearer who owns 150 goats.

Two hyper sensitive polling booths -- Chunchuna and Pundag -- located in a Naxal-affected area of the district which shares border with Jharkhand, also recorded significant turnout, he said.

The two booths are located in the Samri assembly constituency.

''Special security arrangements were put in place in this area to ensure peaceful voting. Voters of Chunchuna and Pudang ensured their participation in the great festival of democracy braving Naxalite threat,'' he said.

The Chunchuna polling booth has 767 voters and it recorded 84.35 per cent turnout, while Pundag has 595 electors and it registered a turnout of 72.44 per cent till 5 pm, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)