200 SC voters to step out for the first time today to vote

In the overwhelmingly Thakur dominated constituency of Doaba, whether the 50-odd Schedule Caste families cast their votes or not is of little consequence to any of the political parties.

In the overwhelmingly Thakur dominated constituency of Doaba, whether the 50-odd Schedule Caste families cast their votes or not is of little consequence to any of the political parties.

“No one cares for this small section of voters as long as they do not come out to vote. They are intimidated by the Thakur community to such an extent that they do not dare to venture out on the day of polling,” said District Magistrate Rajan Kumar, from Naukagoan in Doaba. The fact that the two main candidates, sitting MLA Bharat Singh of the BJP and Vikrama Singh of the SP are Thakurs, certainly, hasn’t help their cause.

But taking advantage of the drive to enrol vulnerable communities who have been traditionally kept away from the democratic process, 200 voters—a microscopic segment considering there are 11.25 crore voters in the state—from the Schedule Caste community in Naukagaon got themselves EPIC cards as a first step.

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“Now, they have requested the SP, the EC’s poll observers and me for help and protection so that they can queue up in the front of the polling station (in 60, 68 A and 69 number in Naukagaon) and cast their votes without being attacked or intimidated,” Kumar added.

Tomorrow, the final phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections, for this tiny section of voters special arrangements are being made to ensure “they are allowed to come out and vote for the first time in an assembly election”.