A section of voters belonging to the Scheduled Castes boycotted the byelection in Nanguneri on Monday, in protest against the State government’s failure to heed their demand for reclassifying seven SC sub-sects as ‘Devendrakula Vellalar’ through a formal gazette notification. Voters belonging to the kudumban, pannaadi, kadaiyan, pallan, kaalaadi, vathiriyaan and devendrakulathaan communities had announced that they will boycott the Nanguneri bypoll as the government did not take a decision on their demand. They followed through on it on Monday.
Voters of Perumal Nagar on Reddiyarpatti – Moolaikkaraipatti Main Road, home to 300 SCs, did not go to their designated booth at the Moolaikkaraipatti Government Higher Secondary School to exercise their franchise. After hoisting black flags at a few spots close to the main road and erecting a banner announcing their poll boycott, a group of youth said their protest will continue indefinitely if the State government refused to take a “positive decision” on their demand. Voters of South Nellaiyappapuram too reflected this sentiment. “We’ll boycott the forthcoming civic polls also if the ruling AIADMK government refuses to [pay] heed to our demand,” said P. Uyikaattaan of South Nellaiyappapuram, where around 25 policemen, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police, had been deployed. The police deployment ensured smooth polling as voters from other communities turned up at RC Primary School to exercise their franchise.
