Shahkot bypoll: On polling day, locals say it’s a vote for development

At a polling booth in Shahkot Monday. Express

As Shahkot voted in the bypoll, voters coming to the polling booths spoke about ‘development’ and missing ‘basic amenities’ in their respective villages and urban areas. The bypoll was held following the demise of five-time SAD MLA Ajit Singh Kohar. The mostly rural constituency has 240 villages under it. Mehatpur, Malsian, Shahkot and Lohian Khas are the main towns in the constituency.

“Come and see our village…we don’t have concrete roads, drinking water we get is yellowish in colour,” said a Nirmal Singh standing outside the polling booth at Gillarhan village, located between Shahkot and Mehatpur towns. Resham Kaur of the same village said: “We do not have any way to get to our house except through a muddy stretch which is always filled with sewer water….many of us, including children, have slipped here several times.”

A shopkeeper of Shahkot main market, Mohan Jit, added: “Shahkot is dubbed as an urban area of the constituency, but still we do not have proper sewer and you can see the condition of the main road, which is full of potholes.” Sunita Mittal, a resident of Shahkot, said that this time they had voted to get good schools and colleges in the area.