Unkept promises: MM Hills residents skip polls

NT Correspondent

Mysuru: Irate residents of five villages living in the deep jungles of Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district who boycotted the parliamentary polls on Friday, not only stoned the polling booth but also damaged the EVM leaving several officials injured.

The clashes broke out between the police and villagers when officials attempted to pacify them and make them take part in the voting process.

Four people were injured in the incident which took place when the officials led by Hanur taluk tahsildar Guruprasad and others went to the village to pacify the voters to take part in voting process.

There are 528 voters in Mendare, Indiganatta Primary School polling booth coming under the limits of MM Hills Gram Panchayat.

When the tahasildar, police and other officials tried to convince the villagers to take part in polling, a heated arguments broke out over the issue of denying basic facilities to their villages.

When the police who were present on the spot resorted to a mild lathicharge, the situation turned worse with the irate villagers stoning the polling booth.

This is the not the first time, the residents of over a dozen villages including Indiganatta and Mendare have boycotted elections, in previous elections too they had given calls, but the officials pacified them with the promise of fulfilling their demands.

These villages, which are located within the Chamarajanagar parliamentary constituency, are protesting the lack of basic amenities and the neglect of their villages by elected representatives.

The villagers rely on jeeps for transportation due to the lack of road connectivity, making it difficult to access schools, hospitals, and other essential services.

Murugesh, a local resident, expressed frustration over the government’s failure to provide basic facilities despite generations living in the area.