Great-grandmom, 102, wins gram panchayat poll

TNN

Mysuru, 06 June 2015: A sprightly 102-year-old woman, presiding over a brood of more than 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, defied age to post a comfortable win in the gram panchayat poll in a Mysuru village. Centenarian Gowthimmamma from Doddalathuru in Kollegal taluk won her maiden election after a fierce campaign against her opponent, who is also a relative.

 

The entry of Gowthimmamma in the fray had created quite a stir in Doddalathuru. But the great grandmother showed she was a shrewd politician by promising drinking water and better roads for the village during her election campaign. She was pitted against her own relative, Chennajamma.

 

 

Gowthimmamma’s relative Ravikumar, a former gram panchayat member from Koudalli and her grandson Manjunath, prodded her to contest the elections. When their relative Chennajamma filed nomination to contest against Gowthimmamma, other relatives and some villagers requested Chennajamma to withdraw her nomination. But Chennajamma refused to budge and then followed a fierce campaign by Gowthimmamma. When the results were declared on Friday, Gowthimmamma had won by 136 votes, securing 354 against Chennajamma’s 218 votes.

 

Gowthimmamma said she would work for the development of her village. "I didn’t expect the results. I will work for the people and take up development works," she said.