Coimbatore: The residents of Sankarankudi tribal settlement near Valparai town trekked through the jungles of western ghats for 5km to exercise their right to franchise at a government middle school at Nallamudi estate here on Tuesday.
The case wasn’t any different for the residents of Thuvaipathy and Kallukadu tribal settlements on Tamil Nadu-Kerala border - they trudged nearly 3km to reach the polling station that was housed at the government residential primary school for tribals at Anaikatti to cast their votes.
More than 15 tribal settlements, including Sankarankudi, Kallarkudi, Sincona, Udumpanparai, Kavarkal, Paramankudi, Sheikal Mudi and Vellimudi, are located at least 15km to 20 km away from Valparai town and most of them lack proper roads.
There are around 40 tribal families living at Sankarankudi and the voters from the settlement had to walk all the way to the polling booth with the help of bamboo sticks on the day.
The residents of Sankarankudi settlement too trudged through the dense forest, where the movement of leopards and elephants are common, to vote. The return journey was also cumbersome.
Balamani, 50, a resident of Veerapandi village panchayat and her husband Maruthan, 53, said while the AIADMK and the DMK had arranged autos and jeeps to ferry the tribal voters to the polling station, they opted to walk from their Thuvaipathi tribal settlement.
However, Maruthi, 80 and her husband Karatti, 87, also from Thuvaipathy tribal settlement, availed the auto facility. They exercised their franchise at the government tribal residential primary school at Anaikatti. After voting, they sat near the polling station. Maruthi also sang a song.
Border Security Force personnel were deployed at the polling station at Anaikatti, which is located on TN-Kerala border, as Kerala side used to report Maoist threats often.
The major Dravidian parties had also arranged food for the tribal voters.