DHARMAPURI: Residents of K Eechampadi village in Dharmapuri district boycotted the Tamil Nadu assembly election on Thursday to protest what they called the authorities' refusal to relocate a school to a new building. The village has 956 registered voters, and all of them abstained from voting.
The villagers have been demanding the relocation of the government higher secondary school to a new facility, which was constructed using community funds and is equipped with classrooms, a kitchen, and toilets. Despite repeated petitions, the government declined permission to relocate the school, prompting villagers to announce in March that they would boycott the elections if their demand was not met.
Officials, including Revenue Divisional Officer Gayathri, Chief Education Officer Jothichandra, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Satheeshkumar, had earlier held peace talks, urging villagers to withdraw their protest. However, no agreement was reached, leading to the boycott.
The protest highlights the community's frustration over the lack of response from authorities. The school relocation issue remains unresolved, with villagers vowing to continue their agitation until their demands are addressed.
