In the Lok Sabha election on Friday, Banjarumale, an interior hamlet in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannda district in Karnataka, received 100% of the vote.There are 111 voters in this hamlet, and all of them showed up at the one polling place, finishing their ballots two hours before the polls closed at 6 pm.Tribal farmers, forest dwellers, and others who gather small amounts of forest debris live in the hamlet. The people in the forest use water from the perennial water sources in the Western Ghats hills to survive despite without having access to electricity or other forms of transportation.The villagers have to take a bus from Mudigere to their taluk headquarters in Belthangady, or walk eight kilometers through thick forests, yet they all made sure to cast their ballots.This is not the first time when Banjarumale has shown the enthusiasm, in 2023, during Karnataka Assembly elections, the hamlet recorded staggering 100% voting. This constancy highlights the deeply founded sense of civic duty embedded in the community.The local officials have praised Banjarumales commitment to democratic principles and his spirit. Regardless of a communitys size or location, their acknowledgement is proof of the value of grassroots democracy and the significance of recognizing and rewarding civic engagement.
