An enthusiastic queue of voters at Patsaidih in Tamar block of Ranchi on Friday. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Tamar (Ranchi), Dec. 24: A thumping turnout of 72 per cent across Maoist dens in Ranchi district in the fifth and final phase of the panchayat polls today removed all doubts about people’s faith in grassroots democracy.

The four blocks — Bundu, Tamar, Sonahatu and Rahe — of Ranchi, where the fifth phase of polling took place, are considered strongholds of Maoist zonal commander Kundan Pahan.

Not surprisingly, 295 of the 568 booths in these blocks were declared supersensitive, with trickle of a turnout during past elections, including last year’s Assembly election.

However, long queues of voters at polling booths revealed they were more than eager to exercise their franchise in a belt where, until recently, rebels viewed even talks about elections as no less than a crime.

At an open-air booth (No. 53) in Baghai panchayat under Tamar block, about 70km from the state capital, as many as 116 of the 281 electors cast their votes by 11.50am, with several others waiting their turn. In the past, not a single person had voted here after Maoists had appealed to boycott various elections.

Similarly, at a closed-door booth (No. 52) in the same panchayat, 110 voters, out of 289, had turned up by 12 noon.

Sukhdeo Munda, a voter in Baghai, said, “People here are voting en masse to get irrigation, electricity, improved health services and schools in their village.”

Asked why did people boycott the last elections, he remained tight-lipped. He parried further queries, and said, “Don’t talk about what happened in the past.”

At booth No. 33 of Pundidiri panchayat of Tamar, where no one had turned up during the last elections fearing the rebels, as many as 168 of the 394 voters had cast their votes by 12.30pm.

The voters included Kailash Nath Gautam, a retired teacher of a government school whose son had fallen prey to Maoists’ bullet last year in September. “Panchayat elections are in the interest of villagers, so everyone has decided to vote,” he said, refusing comment on the zero turnout in the last election.

At Patsaidih, another panchayat of Tamar that had a zero voter turnout in the last election, 175 of its 462 voters had come to the booth by 11.30am.

An Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) jawan, who was deputed at the booth, said people in the area were very co-operative. “When we arrived here, we were briefed that the area was under the influence of Maoists and that chances of people coming to the booth was rare. But when voting started this morning, we found just the reverse picture,” he said requesting anonymity.

Deputy commissioner K.K. Soan confirmed the high voter turnout. “At Gumti village under Mankidih panchayat of Tamar block, where people had never voted for a long time, the polling percentage was 72. Gumti has 252 voters,” Soan said.

“Not only did our polling party complete the voting process successfully, but they also reached Bundu safely with their ballot boxes. The votes will be counted there,” Soan added.