## Voter Enthusiasm in Gayaji Villages
For the first time in 20 years, residents of Herhanj, Kelwadeeh, and Pathra in Gaya district participated in elections at local polling stations, celebrating the event as a festival. Voters welcomed polling staff with garlands at Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya Pathra-1, where booths were established for the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. ### Accessibility and Participation
– The area, about 30 km from Imamganj block headquarters, has faced challenges with accessibility and security. – Since 2005, polling booths were relocated 12 km away to Salaiya Middle School, limiting voter participation to only a few dozen.
– This year, voters arrived in large numbers from 7 am, marking it as “the return of democracy to our doorstep.”
### Expected Turnout
– The three villages have 1,350 registered voters, nearly all expected to vote due to the proximity of polling stations. – New brides and first-time voters expressed particular enthusiasm, with women from the Jeevika network highlighting the excitement. – Residents like Aslam Shah and Chhotu Shah noted that the return of the booth has increased voting enthusiasm, with a resident stating, “This time everyone in the village will participate.”
### Political Engagement
– Candidates from both NDA and Mahagathbandhan visited the area to seek votes, a rare occurrence in the past due to difficult terrain.
### Security Improvements
– The villages are now closer to Jharkhand’s Manatu police station, improving security after being previously affected by Naxal activity. ### New Political Identity
– According to the Imamganj election office, two new booths have been created at the school: Booth 202 with 365 men and 337 women, and Booth 203 with 344 men and 304 women. – The reinstated polling booths have provided the villages with “a new political identity” after two decades, as stated by Salaiya Panchayat representative Santan Paswan.
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