Tiger scares away voters on outskirts

TNN | Feb 20, 2012, 12.47AM IST The beast, which has been in the area for over a month, scared away voters in the Rahmankhera locality and only 35% people from a cluster of six villages in the area turned up to cast their votes. RAHMANKHERA: Apart from winning the voters' confidence, candidates in Malihabad constituency had an unusual odd to overcome - menace of a wandering tiger. The beast, which has been in the area for over a month, scared away voters in the Rahmankhera locality and only 35% people from a cluster of six villages in the area turned up to cast their votes on Sunday. The overall polling in Malihabad was 58%. "We did get a call from the 'party' to come and vote without fear. Otherwise also, candidates had been telling us to act brave," said a villager Kalluram. The political assurances, however, did not pay off. "We were told that the low turnout was because of the tiger," said a poll officer at the Dugauli booth. "Even those who turned up, came in groups to vote," Kalluram adds. Ulrapur, in Rahmankhera, has nothing distinctive about it. It's broken, kuchcha roads, rather, make it a perfect case of state's apathy and neglect. But, on the polling day, the village assumed importance. More than 20 security guards were deployed by forest department at the village to infuse a sense of security in villagers, scared of the stray tiger. But, result was not encouraging. "I came with others. And, more than half of the voters, have not come," said Pyarelal of Ulrapur villager. "We are going to vote in groups," said his friend Siyaram. Rahmankhera has several of its villages reeling under the tiger scare. The worst affected are Dugauli, Ulrapur and Meethenagar. All these villages are situated between forest area. Dugauli and Ulrapur together have 658 registered voters. The tiger is located around the campus of Central Institute of Subtropical Horticultre (CISH) campus. A narrow road from the main Malihabad road, takes one inside the premise. While Dugauli lies on one side of this narrow road, Ulrapur lies on the other side. "The stretch that connects two villages, has dense forest on both sides," said Arjun Lal Yadav. However, presiding officer, Lalit Sharma, who, too, was aware of the roaming tiger, ruled out any such impact. "People are coming out in good numbers," said the officer. The forest officers, including senior officers, were present on the spot manning security at sensitive villages. "We know our responsibilities, and we are doing our best. There is no scare at all, and voters are moving," said a senior officer. Canvassing in the area had already been badly hit in the area due to the big cat. "When we come back from work in the evening, we give call up at our place first. It's only after four five people come and stand at road with lathis, that we enter the village," said Sanjay, resident of Ulrapur, about the tiger scare in the area. "So far, it hasn't attacked anybody. But who knows," said Nayandevi. Since villagers are dependent for most of their basic needs on the forest, from fodder to fuel, tiger presence in the area is affecting them hard. The tiger was first spotted on January 8 and has not been trapped despite best effort fro forest officials. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Crouching-tiger-missing-voters/articleshow/11958091.cms