As Chhattisgarh heads towards assembly elections, many villages in the Naxal-infested areas such as Dantewada are witnessing installation of polling booths for the first time since India’s independence. As per an ANI report, Katekalyan’s Talem village of Dantewada is one of such villages to see polling booth set up for the first time.
Chhattisgarh: Polling booth set up for the 1st time post-independence in Katekalyan’s Telam village of naxal affected Dantewada.Villagers say ‘We will go to cast our vote’.Katekalyan police station incharge says “It’s challenging but we’re ready. Villagers are connecting with us” pic.twitter.com/3TVOaYnEkk
— ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2018
The locals of the area are particularly enthused by the latest development and have expressed their willingness to cast their vote. The police in charge at Katekalyan police station has expressed that the police force faces daunting challenges but said that they are ready. In a step forward, the villagers are also connecting with the police.
It is pertinent to note that the violence in the Naxal-infested Dantewada region has spiked after the announcement by the EC of conducting elections in the region and attempting to bring the tribals into the fold of mainstream.
Yesterday, the Naxals attacked a patrolling party in Anantpur area of Dantewada in which Doordarshan TV crew member Achutyananda Sahu lost his life and two CRPF personnel were martyred as well.
On Sunday evening, the Naxals barged into the BJP leader Nandlal Mudami’s house and grievously bludgeoned him. A day prior to that incident the Naxals ambushed a bullet-proof bunker vehicle killing 4 CRPF personnel and seriously injuring 2 others. Last month, the Naxals had issued a warning to the locals in their stronghold of Bastar and Kanker region to desist from voting in the upcoming assembly elections.
Chhattisgarh is slated to go to polls in two phases. The Naxal-affected areas are going to polls on November 12 and the remaining 72 constituencies will be polling on November 20. As the election date is approaching, there has been a marked buoyancy in the nefarious activities by the Naxals.
