Just hours before the Chhattisgarh elections, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has pressed into service MI-17 helicopters to ferry polling officials deep into the Naxal zones. Nearly 125 villages in Bastar, in erstwhile Naxal territory, will see a polling booth in their village for the first time. “Teams from more than 156 polling stations in the interior areas will be transported through helicopters,” Chhattisgarh police said in a statement.
Drones and helicopters have also been deployed to keep an eye out on the jungles of Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur, Kanker, Kondagaon, Antagarh. Bomb disposal team and dog squads will patrol the roads and dirt tracks leading up to booths so that any attempt to blast off booths or the roads can be prevented.
CPI-Maoist has issued pamphlets threatening the polling officials from coming to polling booths in the remotest villages of Bastar Division. In the last seven days, alleged CPI-Maoist members killed one BJP worker in Narayanpur, three villagers in Kanker accusing them of being police informers. On Sunday, an encounter broke out between Border Security Force (BSF), Chhattisgarh Police and Naxals in Kanker.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sunderraj P assure voters that the local police and central forces have taken steps for their security. “Maoist organisation, which is frustrated by the changing scenario of Bastar region, is continuously trying to carry out violent activities to disrupt the election process. This is the old method of Maoist organisation. But my appeal to locals of the area and voters is to come out and vote and strengthen the democracy. We have taken steps to keep you secured,” he said.
To give voters and officials a sense of security, several measures have been taken by the administration.
Multi-tier security: Central paramilitary forces and special forces such as DRG (District Reserve Guards), STF, COBRA commandos and Bastar Fighters will be deployed from polling station security to road arrangements.
More than 600 polling stations will have a three-tier security cordon.
Central paramilitary forces: CRPF, BSF, ITBP and local police will be deployed in other polling stations considered less sensitive.
Women commandos will be guarding 35 polling booths. From CRPF’s Bastariya battalion to Chhattisgarh Police’s Danteshwari Fighters, local tribal women have donned the uniform to take on CPI-Maoist, which has women leaders and cadre at the forefront too.
Securing inter-state borders: Special forces in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, which share a border with Chhattisgarh, have been alerted so that there is no free movement of Maoist cadre between these states.
Maoists have used the police jurisdiction limitations to their advantage in the past. After committing a crime in one state, the Maoist cadre and leadership often flee to another state, tying the hands of the local police. Administration has now set up joint task forces to prevent this situation.
A total of 149 polling stations of Bijapur, Narayanpur, Antagarh, Dantewada and Konta Assembly constituencies have been shifted to the nearest police station and security camp to ensure people come out to vote. Police officials said this was necessitated because Naxals would not allow voting in these villages. In the last assembly elections in 2018, 196 polling stations were shifted.
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