All alone, this SC TN panchayat president awaits ward members

The public in Pitchivilai panchayat, Tiruchendur taluk, boycotted the 2019 rural local body elections, condemning the reservation of president posts for Scheduled Caste members.

THOOTHUKUDI: Left undisturbed and alone in her one-woman panchayat office for two years, Pitchivilai village president Rajeswari hopes that this time people would cast their votes for the four panchayat ward member posts. Out of six wards, polls will be held for four on October 9. Two ward members have already been elected unopposed.

The public in Pitchivilai panchayat, Tiruchendur taluk, boycotted the 2019 rural local body elections, condemning the reservation of president posts for Scheduled Caste members. Most people in the village are from the Nadar community, under the Backward Class category. The village was a reserved one during the 2019 local body polls.

With nearly 575 voters, the panchayat had only eight SC voters. In the polls for the post of panchayat president, only 12 people voted. Rajeswari Vijayan defeated Sundarachi by garnering 10 votes. Rajeswari was formerly a cleanliness worker, and still works as a domestic help. She is a mother of three, and her husband is a coolie.

Rajeshwari, who has completed Class 12, said, “I got elected because I believed in the constitutional guarantee of equal rights. But the panchayat can function effectively only with support from ward members.” She said the village leaders tried to make her resign after the poll results were out in 2019, but she refused. Rajeswari has not proposed any project because there is no ward member to discuss projects before passing a resolution.

“I just go to the panchayat office, sign MGNREGS labourer cards, and sanction salaries for panchayat workers.” Collector Dr K Senthil Raj said the villagers have been counselled, and will come forward to vote.

Rid electoral list of bogus voters: DMK
Chennai: DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi has written to the State Election Commission asking for the bogus voters to be removed from the electoral list in Sriperumbudur and Kundrathur unions since these people are construction workers from other States. Bharathi said it is learnt that a supplementary electoral list was released for the two unions in Kancheepuram district, and Kattankulathur union in Chengalpattu district in which all voters were from Northern States

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