COIMBATORE: Providing fodder to the Opposition’s charge of presence of ineligible voters in cooperative elections, the name of a 143-year-old person, who is no more, figured in the voters’ list of Thudiyalur Cooperative Agricultural Service Ltd (TUCAS) in the district. Often termed as one of the best cooperative societies in the State, TUCAS pays Rs 1.5 crore as income tax annually and maintains over Rs 100 crore as deposits. In the previous financial year alone, it ringed in a profit of Rs 4 crore.
But the prestigious society’s electoral list released on April 26 seems to have many a flaw. It having the name of one Pichchandi Kavundar of Kasinenje Gavundan Pudur (shortly called KNG Pudur), who died five decades ago, is a case in point.Even though the list does not mention the age and gender of voters, Pichchandi Kavundar should be 143 years old had he been alive, say TUCAS members. This calculations is based on the electoral roll prior to 2012 wherein his age was given as 137.
“To favour the ruling party, the practice of mentioning the age and gender of the voters in the coop polls was done away with in 2012 before which Pichchandi Kavundar’s age was stated to be 137,” claims V S Kalisami, a TUCAS member. According to him, the current list contains 15,180 members of which 621 have crossed 100 years of age and another 1,200 of them are about 80-years-old.
“The possibility of them being alive is very remote. Many among them might have died, but their names have been included in the list and they are eligible to vote on May 7 elections,” he says. Despite flagging the issue with the higher officials in the cooperative department, their names have not been deleted from the electoral roll, he says, adding that the authorities take excuse saying “it is a long process”.
Kalisami also wondered how the elections could be held in a free and fair manner if the list had the names of non-existent voters. There was every possibility that elections would be rigged and bogus votes would be cast favouring the ruling party, he charged. When contacted, TUCAS electoral officer J Ilamathi said, “How would I know the voter’s age when the list does not mention it? I checked and released it based on the documents provided by the TUCAS management,” and declined to comment further.