No elections, only unanimous

Karimnagar: Normal scenario in any village before elections will be contestants busy meeting people of various communities seeking their support for their victory in the elections, allegedly distributing liquor, money and goods. They will be making new strategies to defeat their opponents, which makes villages to simmer in political heat as the elections approaches. 

But the scene in Chintalur village, Raikal mandal, Karimnagar district, is entirely different. The people of Chintalur village themselves will select a suitable candidate, who would strive for the village development, and will elect him unanimously. 

This method has been continuing for the past 37 years and there will be no panchayat elections and contest. Chintalur village is located 12 kilometers away from Raikal mandal headquarters. The village was under Bornepalli village panchayat before 1981 along with Jagannathpur and Davanpalli villages. After 1981, all these three villages were made as separate panchayats.

In the very first year in 1981, the sarpanch seat was allotted to general category. But the villagers elected Bhadri Nayak as the sarpanch unanimously, who belongs to Scheduled Caste, after seeing his good work done for the village.

From then onwards, the villagers never cast their vote in the panchayat elections and have been electing those persons as their, sarpanch who strives hard for the village development, irrespective of reservations allotted by the Election Commission.

Chintalur villagers elected Limba Goud from BC category as the village sarpanch in 1988 and 1995. In 2001, the villagers elected Oruganti Mohan Rao from OC category and in 2006 Jatothu Laxman Nayak of SC category and in 2013 elected Kadhurla Laxmi as the village sarpanch.

The total population of the village is less than 1,000. As per 2011 population survey, there were around 650 voters in the village. From the last 37 years onwards, the villagers are electing candidates unanimously and utilising the funds released by the government for laying CC roads, construction of drains and for other developmental activities.

As the panchayat elections will be held within a few days, many aspirants are trying to see their luck by approaching the village elders, seeking their support and to contest in the elections. But, the Chintalur villagers are determined to elect candidates unanimously as the sarpanch once again.