In Tamil Nadu, political parties transport tribal voters to voting places

Political party officials reportedly failed to provide transportation for tribal voters in distant places, so they organized cars for them, breaking both election regulations and traffic rules. To cast their votes, the electors were driven in a minitruck to the Jammunarrai polling place, which is situated in a protected forest in Kil Kotagiri, Nilgiris district.

“There are about 225 voters in the area,” voter K Paramasivam from Thalamokkai village, which is close to Kil Kotagiri, told TNIE. Election officials did not prepare for vehicles since the polling place is situated in a reserve forest seven kilometers from our hamlet. A political party set up the minitruck to transport us to the booth in the meantime.

“A group of old people and ladies arrived at the polling place in a small vehicle and cast their ballots. “Transport was organized by party members,” he said.

Not only were tribal members from SN Colony, Mellkuppu, Kelkuppu, Attady, and other villages transported in minitrucks to the voting place, but also the Thalamokkai people.

Election department insiders claim that officials had previously promised to set up cars so that tribal members living in the reserve forest could cast ballots. But just a few locations were used to make the layout.

It is against the law to carry persons in cargo or minitrucks. Partygoers risked their lives to transport them to the booth by minitruck, defying convention, the sources said.

Several efforts to get in touch with the Nilgiris district election authorities in order to get their opinion on the situation were unsuccessful.