Chennai, Oct 6 (BPNS)

While the first phase of the rural local body polls in Tamil Nadu concluded with no untoward incidents except for some small skirmishes, the residents of Ammundi panchayath in Vellore district boycotted the elections.

The boycott was due to the panchayath president post being reserved for SC women. No person voted in any of the five polling booths set up in the village. The village has 2,045 voters.

The residents of the Village had filed a case in the High court against the panchayath president post being reserved for Scheduled Caste (Woman).

The villagers were protesting against this since September and had wanted to revert the seat to the general category. The village elders said that they boycotted the polls as of the 2045 voters in the Ammundi panchayath, 2,042 are under the general category and SC women and male voters numbered only 2 and 1  respectively.

AIADMK Vellore Urban district secretary, SRK Appu who had brought the discrepancy before the district administration while speaking to BPNS said, “ The villagers agitated as they want justice and reclassify the village panchayath under the general category. The district administration was not properly responding even after repeated queries and there was no alternative other than boycott the polls.”