Of the 21 lakh-odd voter population, 114-year-old Karuppathal Rangan of Kanuvaipalayam village, in Marudur panchayat, under Karamadai union, is the eldest voter in Coimbatore, who has seen at least 20 elections.
This newspaper spotted her at Karamadai panchayat Union Elementary School booth at Kanuvaipalayam village when she was walking slowly to cast her vote.
All smiles, she posed for a photograph flashing her voter ID. A couple months back, Collector P. Umanath honoured her with a shawl for being the oldest voter in the district.
With a trembling voice, she said, “To my memory, I have seen nearly 20 elections. Elections come and go, but nothing much has happened except for some welfare schemes. In this old age, I am unable to get even government pension.”