90-yr-old woman tosses her hat in the election ring

Khammam: Defying the age barrier, a 90-year-old woman, who wants to prove that age is just a number when it comes to serving people, has filed her nomination for Sarpanch post. Eeda Rathamma, a freedom fighter, from Thummalapalli village in Penuballi mandal of the district is going to give tough competition for the other contestants.

When asked what made her to enter the poll fray, Rathamma, who was twice elected as Sarpanch earlier, says she wants to do something for her village and its people. Rathamma, wife of freedom fighter Eeda Chennaiah, will be testing her luck for the third time in the second phase of gram panchayat elections to be held on Friday. 

Meanwhile, youngsters of the village, who are impressed with the nonagenarian, are accompanying her during the campaign. Rathamma, who was also elected as the first ZPTC member of the Penuballi mandal, has two sons, who are settled in Hyderabad.

The elder son, Eeda Seshagiri Rao, worked as a lawyer in the High Court and tried to get a ticket from the Congress party in the recently-held Assembly elections from the Paleru constituency. The other one worked in the police department. 

“There has been not much development in the village for the last many years, and the villagers have requested me to contest polls,” she said, adding that she would strive for developing Thummalapalli with the help of younger generation and work for the well-being of the people till her last breath.