THANJAVUR: Residents of a hamlet in Thanjavur alleged that their representatives were threatened by members of dominant caste in the main village after they filed nomination for the post of village panchayat president which is reserved for SC.
They have decided to withdraw the candidature and boycott the elections.
According to sources, Kulamangalam panchayat consists of two settlements – the main village of Kulamangalam and the hamlet of Thanthoni.
The Village panchayat president post, which hitherto was in the general category, is reserved for SC candidates this time.
Kulamangalam main village is inhabited predominantly by a dominant backward caste and Dalits.
Thanthoni is inhabited by persons from a most backward caste and Dalits. The panchayat president used to be from the main village and vice-president from the hamlet.
This time, due to some unresolved issue like auctioning of a portion of the pond, there were no consensus in nominating a candidate for the village panchayat president.
Because of which both the villages decided to field candidates.
On Monday, the last date of filing nominations, residents of Thanthoni, went to file nominations for village panchayat ward member posts at the Village Panchayat office at Kulamangalam main village. There a group from the main village questioned them about their nomination for the President post.
When they replied in the affirmative, those from Kulamangalam main village allegedly abused and threatened them if the nomination for village panchayat chief post was not withdrawn. The abuse continued in the evening in the road connecting the two areas, it is said.
Following this residents of Thanthoni on Tuesday came down to Thanjavur collectorate and submitted a petition to the district administration explaining the situation.
They wanted police protection. They also stated in the petition they have decided to withdraw the nomination and to boycott the elections.
V Vijayakumar of Thanthoni, who submitted the petition, told TNIE that they would withdraw their nomination as the villagers did not want to face any problems in future. He added that residents were in mood of boycotting elections.
CM discusses election strategies with party functionaries
Salem: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami was in the district on Tuesday to discuss poll strategies with his party functionaries for the upcoming local body elections.
At his residence in Nedunchalai Nagar, functionaries from other political parties joined AIADMK in Palaniswami’s presence. The chief minister is expected to leave for Chennai this morning.
Reach these numbers to lodge poll complaints
Sivaganga: Election Observer M Karunakaran held a meeting with Collector J Jayakanthan here on Tuesday. Public or candidates can lodge election-related complaints or share information via 94 89 91 01 98 or toll-free number 10 77 or 04575 - 24 62 33. The election observer later met candidates who had filed nominations.
As many as 10,150 candidates filled nominations to contest for the 3,748 posts in the rural local bodies.
Sources said 126 candidates filed nominations for the 16 posts of district panchayat ward member, 1,127 filed nominations for the posts of panchayat union ward member, 2,394 for the posts of village panchayat president, and 6,503 for the posts of village panchayat ward member.