Ballari: Astonishing it may seem, a 91-year-old man is trying his electoral luck in the Gram Panchayat elections in Karnataka.
Thimmaiah is contesting for Gandabommanahalli gram panchayat in Kudligi taluk of Ballari district, as the two-phase GP elections across the state began today.
This is not the first time Thimmaiah is an electoral aspirant; he had in 2010 contested, but lost as he had no paraphernalia for a fairly good election campaign.
Father of seven children, Thimmaiah grows groundnut on his five-acre land. After his wife's death he is living with his daughter.
Amidst the heat and dust raised by party-supported candidates, Thimmaiah has frugal means of campaign. He is distributing DTP-printed pamphlets, walking barefoot in scorching heat which by any means is unbearable for an old man like him.
Asked about his intention to fight elections at this old age, Thimmaiah said, "Before I breath my last, I want to do something for my village. I want to build houses for poor."
On his chances, Thimmaiah says, "People are behind me. As many as 45 votes itself will come from my big family."
Apart from having seven children, Thimmaiah has 20 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Thimmaiah has filed his nomination papers in general men's category.
