Pengal Otrumai, a collective of women estate workers which came to the political front following its mass agitation at the Kanan Deven Tea Company, supported the United Democratic Front (UDF) in the election for the president of the Munnar grama panchayat on Thursday.
There were two members of the Pengal Otrumai in the 21-member panchayat, where the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 10 seats, and the UDF, nine. With the support of the Pengal Otrumai, UDF council member R. Karuppusami became the president.
There was minor tension as the Pengal Otrumai council members came along with the UDF members to the panchayat hall for election and LDF workers tried to block them. However, the police intervened and the members were safely taken to the panchayat hall. The Pengal Otrumai was given the vice president’s post
However, Gomathi, a prominent leader of the Pengal Otrumai, who won from the Devikulam division of the block panchayat, abstained from voting. There were earlier reports that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (AIADMK) was trying to rope in the Pengal Otrumai to influence tea estate workers in Munnar area who are of Tamil origin but traditionally living in the estate lanes for generations.
