2000 Voters Threaten Poll Boycott In Katigorah Over Broken KH Road, Submit Memorandum

Around 2,000 voters from two polling stations in Katigorah have allegedly threatened to boycott the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, citing the long-pending repair of a crucial road damaged by river erosion. The voters submitted a memorandum to the District Commissioner through the Katigorah Circle Officer on Tuesday (March 31), warning that if the issue is not resolved before polling on April 9, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will remain unused. The area now falls under the North Karimganj LAC after delimitation.

The protest stems from the condition of the KH Road at Haritikar (Rajatila), a vital link for several villages along the India-Bangladesh border. A major portion of the road was washed away by the Barak River in 2017, disrupting connectivity to multiple villages and even BSF camps. Since then, residents have been forced to rely on a narrow embankment road, leading to frequent traffic congestion and daily hardships.

A local alleged, “Our area has been disconnected since 2017, and since then, PWD has been ignoring this and not repairing the erosion area. Patients are unable to go to the hospital, and students are unable to reach their exam centre on time. Even the election officer went there a few days back, and he too was stuck in a traffic jam for nearly 2 hours because of the deplorable condition of the road there.”

The resident further claimed that repeated appeals have gone unheard. “Even after several memorandums and applications to the administration and local MLA, the road remains disconnected, and we have no way of commuting,” the locals added.

Following delimitation, the affected villages now fall under the North Karimganj Assembly constituency in Sribhumi district. Voters from two polling stations—numbers 5 and 6 at Haritikar Lower Primary School (No. 17), have reportedly decided in a public meeting to boycott the elections unless immediate steps are taken.

Expressing frustration, another resident said, “We vote every year, elect a representative, but no one has ever worked for our area, so what is the purpose of voting then? If we are ignored, then we are going to ignore the polling.”

Calling the memorandum a final warning, the resident added, “We have still submitted a memorandum to the Circle Officer, and this is our last hope and ultimatum. If there is no inspection for the work to start, then we shall all boycott the vote.”

Members of the ‘Jan Seva Parishad’, including president Mujibur Rahman Majarbhuiya (Neelu), stated that unless visible action is taken before April 9, voters will go ahead with the boycott, leaving the EVMs unused.