Tiruvannamalai
According to officials, Jawadhu Hills Panchayat Union has 11 village panchayats of which four were reserved for women. In most cases, sources said that red sander agents played havoc by handing out as much as Rs 3,000 per vote for the post of village panchayat president. This was done with an intent to reportedly give the red sander agents clout when they need official help in the ‘trade.’
While official sources said that voting was largely peaceful in the panchayat union, they said that the provision of bribing voters with money was an open secret. However, the only difference was that voters in the hills “stamped the names of all candidates who bribed them, ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 in a bid to assuage their consciences. They knew their votes would become invalid if more than one name was stamped, but they still did it,” officials said.
With money playing a huge part, this resulted in many bona fide tribal people, who had really worked for the community’s welfare keeping away from the polls as they knew they could not match the money power of those “well-heeled” backed by the red sander traders.
Also, officials are annoyed as women panchayat presidents in the Veerappanur, Nammiampattu, Palamaruthur and Oorgoundanur village panchayats would only lead to an increase in their official workload as “the women, who for the most past obey their husbands’ instructions, are still ignorant about official practices which will result in our being asked to chip in and do the needful.”
Meanwhile, in the contest for ward member to the Veerappanur-Kuttakarai Panchayat Union, incensed at the ruling dispensation not giving the party ticket, a candidate contested as an Independent and won, giving out a strong message to the AIADMK and DMK candidates.
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