Members of the Shompen tribe, categorized as one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), cast their votes for the first time in the Andaman and Nicobar Lok Sabha constituency.
The Shompen people, who reside in the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island, participated in the election process by casting their votes.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ Chief Electoral Officer B.S. Jaglan confirmed that seven members of the tribe exercised their voting rights in this election.
As per the 2011 Census data, the estimated population of the Shompen tribe stands at 229 individuals.
The provisional figures indicate a voter turnout of 63.99% for this election. This is slightly lower than the 65.09% recorded in the 2019 elections.
Manikya Rao Yadhav, the president of the Andamans unit of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), noted that due to the inclusion of late-comers, the polling period had to be extended beyond its initially scheduled time.