Karnataka GP polls: 102-year-old woman shows her winning streak

Mysuru: Age is no deterrent for this 102-year-old woman who won the election from Doddalaththur Gram Panchayat in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajnagar district. What is surprising is that she is not well off, does not have political backing nor does she belong to a backward community. It is mandatory for GP election contestants to have a toilet in their house but Gavithimmamma, said to have been a wealthy woman once, resides all alone in an age-old house which doesn’t have one.

She had given an affidavit that she would construct one while filing her nomination. Wife of the head of the village, late Avalanayaka she is now left with a small piece of land and lives on old age pension of Rs 500. She has lost three of her six children including a son, who once served as Director of the Co-operative and Agricultural and Rural Development bank. The seat she won was reserved for women this time.

Gavithimmamma secured 354 votes winning by a margin of 136 votes over her opponent, 45-year-old Chinnamma from the same village. Villagers say she visited every house during the election campaign.

When asked about her victory,  Gavithimmamma told Deccan Chronicle that it was always her dream to serve her village.  “Villagers inspired me to contest, they have supported me. They elected me remembering the good work done by my husband,” she said. Her dream for the village is to build roads, a hospital and houses for the poor.

Bunk worker makes it in Mysuru

For those who contend money power and political backing alone matter in elections, this could come as a surprise. Twenty seven-year-old petrol bunk worker Raju has proved them wrong by winning the elections in Alanahalli Gram Panchayat of Mysuru taluk. He got 312 votes, 30 more than his opponent.

He is the son of a retired garden supervisor at Mysuru Urban Development Authority. Raju who hails has been serving at a local petrol bunk for 10 years. He studied till second PUC and is now helping his wife do her BE in Civil Engineering.

Ask him what his plans are and Raju says, “I am not after money or power. I only wanted to serve people. I have given my mobile number to each household in my gram panchayat during the campaign. I am ready to solve any problem, be it water or garbage related.

“I wish to function as an intermediary to ensure the benefits of government schemes like old age pension or widow pension reach the poor and needy.”