Caste Politics: Okiyum Pettai voters boycott elections over merger with Kannagi Nagar

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The polling booth in Mootai Karan Chavadi in Thoraipakkam wore a desolate look with the boycott of corporation elections by residents of three areas against their inclusion in Kannagi Nagar ward.

The polling booths 3427, 3428, 3429 and 3430 in Mootai Karan Chavadi Panchayat Union School was boycotted by voters from Okkium Pettai, Nehru Nagar and Mootaikaran Chavadi seeking their inclusion in ward number 194.

The residents are opposing tooth and nail for their inclusion with Kannagi Nagar, which has been included as a dalit ward.

The booth has nearly 4,300 votes of which the three areas alone consist of 3,500 votes. It is dominated by upper caste. When the reporter contacted the residents, there were some murmurs over their area being merged with dalit ward. However, some residents said that their area has always been ignored and now the officials have included their region with Kannagi Nagar which has more than 20,000 voters.

“We want our areas to be merged with Metukuppam (ward number 194). We fear residents of Kannagi Nagar as there is law and order problem in the area,” says 70-year-old Baby Ammal.

Anjalathchi says, “Okiyum Pettai has always been ignored by the successive governments. Till now we don’t have potable water and still have to depend on karapakkam. The decision to boycott the lections is taken by the people and not by any political party.”

Interestingly, the voters from Kannagi Nagar also faced trouble in locating the polling booth. Sayed Ibrahim of Kannai Nagar says he has been running from pillar to post to cast his vote and they guided me here. “It about one-and-a-half km away and I have to walk through the hot sun,” says the senior citizen.

Voting officials told Express that by noon only 10 per cent voting has happened in the polling booth.