In MM Hills, locals vandalise polling booth, injure officials

MYSURU/ BENGALURU: Irate residents of Indiganatha in the jungles of Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar constituency, stoned a polling booth and damaged the EVM and polling equipment following a tiff with local officials. Four polling staff were injured in the melee.

The hamlet has 528 citizens on electoral rolls and a polling station was set up at Mendare in MM Hills gram panchayat to enable them to cast their franchise.

But villagers had decided to boycott the polling process over a lack of basic facilities in their villages and alleged neglect from elected representatives.

Similar calls to boycott elections were made in the past too, but officials had always managed to pacify lo-cals and got them to vote. This time too, Hanur taluk tahsildar Guruprasad and others went to a village to pacify voters.

The officials convinced some villagers to vote, but when they arrived at the polling booth another group prevented them. A heated argument broke out. Police resorted to a mild lathicharge, but it only made things worse as villagers retaliatedby going on a rampage. Police said they stoned the polling booth, damaged the EVM and ransacked the place.

Guruprasad was among those who suffered minor injuries. He was treated at MM Hills Primary Health Centre.
Villagers say they have to rely on jeeps for transportation since they have no road connectivity, making it difficult to access schools, hospitals, and essential services.