Residents of villages in hilly areas of Thally constituency announce election boycott over lack of basic amenities

KRISHNAGIRI: Residents of hill villages in Thally assembly constituency in Krishnagiri district have announced to boycott the April 23 election over lack of basic amenities.There are more than 500 villages surrounded by forests and hills, with many residents belonging to tribal communities. The villagers said they didn’t have proper roads, drinking water, electricity, drainage and medical facilities. They alleged that the absence of road connectivity led to neglect in education, healthcare, employment opportunities and access to govt welfare schemes, worsening poverty.Villagers said political parties repeatedly made promises during elections but failed to act afterwards, leaving them feeling that voting became meaningless. "In the current election, residents of villages such as Osalli near Denkanikottai, Siddique Nagar, Mawanetti near Thottamanju and Pelati decided to boycott polling as a form of protest," a resident said.