Odisha Panchayat Polls 2022: 76-year-old man all set to contest election in Kujang block without financial support

Kujang: A 76-year-old daily wage labourer is all set to contest elections for Odisha Panchayat polls without any financial support

Japahari Barik, a daily wage labourer from Malla sahi gram-panchayat under Zone-1 of Kujang block in Jagatsinghpur district has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for Sarpanch post.

Japahari cycles down and meets people personally and appeal them to vote for him and also puts posters on the walls on his own. He does not have any supporters, nor have any financial support and a house in his village. While other contestants of different parties are busy campaigning with there supporters.

He has questioned about the various projects pending in the block and people living below poverty line. He does not complain about being poor and focuses on his campaigning all alone.

“I am a poor man, after long time i decided to bring change in the panchayat and that is the reason i have stood for the Sarpanch post. I leave my house at around 7 am for door-to-door campaigning and give post cards to each everyone. I put my posters and banners everywhere and requests women to vote for me”, Japahari says.

Japahari said, that he is getting immense love and support from the villagers and that gives him the motivation to contest for elections and now he is well-known in his village. He wants to focus on education, health facilities and water issues in the village and want to take care of the people who live below poverty line.

“There are 5,130 votes in the panchayat and 16 wards. I am very sure that i will get 1500-1600 votes,” he said.

“My agenda has always been impartial and corruption-free development and welfare of the society,” he said.