The boycott of the Lok Sabha elections by a majority of residents of the Thandavankuppam village near Neyveli on Thursday did not yield desired results. Rather it was a vain bid made by villagers to get their demands fulfilled.
But in the process they not only failed to exercise their democratic right but also lost their face.
For the total number of 1,767 eligible voters, the officials had set up three polling stations in the village. But only 194 villagers exercised their franchise. Others abstained on the pretext that all the families that are facing eviction on account of the move of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation to acquire lands in the village must be given suitable alternative sites.
They said that unless the officials give them concrete assurance in this regard, they would not vote.
When the reporters drew the attention of District Collector R. Kirlosh Kumar to the poll boycott of the villagers on Friday, he said that the district administration tried to convince them to vote first and then put forth their demand.
The Collector said that however, the villagers chose to boycott the elections on their own. There was no question of any intimidation or compulsion from any quarters on this score. There was also no attempt at booth-capturing.
