UP: Anguished villagers refuse to cast votes for LS elections

Anguished over dismal development works, residents of a village in Agra in Uttar Pradesh refused to cast their votes for Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. Around 650 voters of Mangoli village of Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha constituency boycotted the polling completely, alleging that their village had not received its share of development works.

The villagers are struggling with an acute shortage of water for drinking and irrigation. There is no proper system of garbage segregation in the village, they also alleged. The protesting villagers said that they will vote only after the district collector gives them in writing to resolve their woes. Sitting MLA and district authorities were trying to persuade them. UP Congress president Raj Babbar is contesting from the Lok Sabha seat.