Great Nicobar’s particularly vulnerable tribal group, Shompen, cast their vote for the first time

A voter from the Shompen tribal community poses for a photo after casting his vote in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Friday. | Photo Credit: PTI/@AndamanCEO

For the first time, members of the Shompen, one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the country and who reside in the dense tropical rain forests of the Great Nicobar island, on Friday took part in the election process by casting their votes in the Andaman and Nicobar Lok Sabha constituency.

Seven members of the tribe exercised their franchise, said Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ Chief Electoral Officer B.S. Jaglan.

The estimated population of Shompen was 229 as per the 2011 Census data.

According to the provisional figures made available, the voter turnout was 63.99%. In 2019, the voter turnout was 65.09%

Manikya Rao Yadhav, president of the Andamans unit of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), said that as late-comers had to be accommodated, polling was extended beyond the scheduled time.