COIMBATORE: Residents of Ajoor village near Kotagiri refrained from voting for nearly six hours on polling day, protesting against forest department notices that directed them to vacate the locality over claims that the settlement lies on forest land.
Despite the government having provided basic amenities such as electricity and drinking water, the forest department has repeatedly issued eviction notices, triggering prolonged tension. Villagers have staged multiple protests and submitted petitions to the District Collector’s office seeking a permanent resolution.
The village has about 818 registered voters, but none turned up at the Government Primary School polling station during the initial hours. By 1 pm, only around 14 votes, mostly from neighbouring areas, had been recorded.
Following the boycott, political representatives, election officials, and police personnel led by Superintendent of Police NS Nisha held discussions with villagers, urging them to participate in the electoral process. After assurances, villagers agreed to vote, and polling resumed after nearly six hours of disruption.
Villagers said they had lost peace of mind due to the ongoing dispute and alleged lack of decisive intervention from authorities.