CHENNAI: Only 36.8% of registered street vendors in the Chennai corporation limits cast their votes in the zonal town vending committee elections on Thursday. Out of the 33,389 registered street vendors in the city, 12,290 cast votes. The results will be announced on Friday.
The elections were held for 90 members, six for each of the 15 zones. Of them, 42 were elected unopposed, which included all six members in Madhavaram, Alandur and Perungudi zones.
According to the city corporation, Royapuram, Manali, Thiru Vi ka Nagar and Kodambakkam zones saw the highest voting percentage of registered vendors.
The turnout in Royapuram was 3,492 (44.2%) and Kodambakkam 2,994 (52.49%). Manali saw a 49.4% turnout and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar 45.37%. “This year, the turn out was better due to increased awareness,” said Chennai Street Vendors Association president C Thiruvettai.
Of the six members in each zone, one member has to be from the SC/ST community, one from other backward classes, one in the general category, one in the minority category, apart from one woman and one differently-abled member.
“We’ve selected a candidate who is one of us (street vendors). We’re confident that we’ll now have a say in matters that concern us,” said Kala P, a street vendor who voted at the Tondiarpet election booth.
According to sources, interference from local councillors created brief disruptions during polling at a few places including in T Nagar.
“Earlier, there was a 15-member Town Vending Committee covering all the zones in Chennai. But now, we’ll have a six-member committee for each zone, making it easier to address street vendors’ grievances,” said Meeran Moideen, a street vendor and one of the candidates contesting in the Tondiarpet Zone.