ERODE: The western region including Erode district recorded a voter turnout exceeding the overall state figures amid a record polling. The polling in even remote hill villages in the district that lack road connectivity registered 80%, show official figures on the Assembly election.
For example, 87% of the votes were recorded in the Kathirimalai settlement witin the Anthiyur Assembly constituency. It has 83 families of the Solaga community.
Kathirimalai can be reached after trekking on foot for four hours from the foothills at Kathiripatti in the Kolathur Block of Salem district.
It is at an elevation of 3,600 feet inside the Chennampatti forest range, about 20 km away from the Bargur Hills of Erode district.
The only mode of transport to this village, which lacks proper roads, is a tractor operated from Kathiripatti. That tractor travels along a rugged 8 km hill path, amidst wildlife threats, twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Despite such obstacles, the district administration successfully conducted the polling process and managed to achieve a high voter turnout.
On Thursday, 238 out of the 271 voters in that village cast their votes. This resulted in a voter turnout of 87.82%.
"The 12-member team appointed by the ECI reached Kathirimalai from Kathiripatti by tractor on Wednesday evening. After spending the night at the residential middle school located there, they returned the following day after the polling process," officials said.
Similarly, the poll turnout was 80.45% in the Malliamman Durgham village located in the Kadambur Hills under the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). Out of the 404 voters here 325 people cast their votes on Thursday.
Malliamman Durgham is within the Bhavanisagar Assembly constituency. The village can be accessed only through a 9 km mudpath constructed by the villagers themselves.
"The poll has been successfully concluded in the Bhavanisagar constituency amidst severe challenges not only in Malliamman Durgham but also in a few hamlets under the Thalamalai Panchayat which falls under the STR. Voter turnout in the hill villages here has been recorded at more than 80%," a senior official said.
On Thursday, 15,84,947 out of 17,59,157 eligible voters cast their votes in the eight Assembly constituencies in Erode district, i.e., 90.10% polling.
Earlier, District Election Officer S Kandasamy had stated that he expected a voter turnout of more than 90%.