VELLORE: For the second year in a row, the gram sabha meet at Naikaneri village panchayat in Madanur panchayat union in Tirupattur district was held without an elected panchayat president on Monday.

Indumathi, wife of Pandian of Naikaneri, was elected unopposed in the 2021 local body polls as no one from the village filed nominations protesting the panchayat was reserved for Dalit woman. Braving stiff opposition from the locals, Indumathi filed her nomination at the last minute resulting in her being elected unopposed.

However, citing a ‘court stay’, she was not allowed to assume office despite the election certificate being given to her by the BDO. Hence, the gram sabha meet was held under the presidentship of the BDO Suresh Kumar.

In the same district, two residents assaulted each other in the gram sabha meeting at Sundarampalli near Tirupattur. Of the 9 wards, wards 5 and 7 had more than 200 houses resulting in complaints that no proper work was undertaken in the said wards. The war of words between residents and others turned ugly when two of them came to blows and later separated by the police.

At a similar meet at Velakalnatham, Murugan, a pig herder, attempted self-immolation over opposition from other residents, who demanded that those raising pigs shift their animals elsewhere to prevent health hazard. Police present at the spot, thwarted his attempt and let him off with a warning.