Unable to come to terms with the fact that 10 women who were working as labourers till Wednesday were no more, the people of Teeleru, a remote village in Narayanpet district, have boycotted the polling for Mahabubnagar parliamentary constituency on Thursday.
The 10 workers, who were part of the 55 labourers engaged in NREGS work on Wednesday, were buried alive when a portion of the dug-up hillock caved in. Two other women had a providential escape from the jaws of death. The condition of one of the injured is stated to be critical at Mahabubnagar Government Hospital.
"We have decided to stay away from the polling on Wednesday night itself in grief over the death of our dear ones as it is the least we can do to express our respect to the departed souls,” Venkatramulu, a villager, who participated in the funeral of about half a dozen women, told The Hindu . The funeral of all victims were completed by 2 pm.
The polling officers in three polling stations set up in the Government Upper Primary School had only kept waiting with the hope that at least some voters would turn up before the closure of polling hours. "As a duty, we have to wait till completion of the polling hours for the voters to come and cast their vote," Tahsildar of Marikal mandal under which the village falls said.
