Rural local body polls: Boycott total in Ammundi panchayat

Though the exercise was peaceful in the region, AIADMK cadre complained to Vellore SP S Selvakumar that DMK men were canvassing support inside a polling booth in Senur village in Katpadi panchayat union.

Similarly, there were also allegations of saris, dhotis and bed-sheets being given in Latheri and KV Kuppam.

At Ammundi, which was reserved for SC category though there was only one resident from that category in the village, voters protesting the reservation refrained from casting their votes. As the residents demand to reclassify the village to the general category failed to attract action, voters continued to hoist black flags daily.

On Wednesday, not a single voter came to any of the nine polling booths and officials’ efforts to convince the residents also did not yield any result. Nominations were also not filed for the post of panchayat president and for members of the 9 village panchayat wards.

Around 1.30 pm police increased their presence in front of the polling station and tried to coax the four government employees in the village and local conservancy staff to cast their votes, but all bluntly refused and said that they would not go against the village diktat.