TN voters boycott polls in 15 places

Reasons range from land acquisition to lack of amenities; Ekanapuram villagers skip polls over Parandur airport plan EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE E VEN as the state struggled to record a better voter turnout in the Lok Sabha election compared to the previous one in 2019, people in around 15 places across the state boycotted the democratic process as a mark of protest over the authorities not finding a solution to their long-pending demands.

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In a few places, voting resumed after officials held talks with the people.

Around 60 Dalit voters in Vengaivayal and more than 500 people in adjacent Eraiyur in Pudukkottai district boycotted the polls in protest over the state government's failure to identify those who mixed human faeces in the overhead tank that supplied water to the Dalits. While the 60 Dalits voted later in the day after the officials assured speedy justice, the people of Eraiyur did not exercise their franchise.

The people in Ekanapuram in Kancheepuram district, the epicentre of the ongoing protests against the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur, also boycotted the polls.