Tens of thousands of armed police were yesterday on duty as a restive Indian state wracked by violence went to the polls.
Maoist militants unleashed a string of deadly attacks ahead of the vote in mineral-rich Chhattisgarh State, one of India’s poorest, killing 13 people over the past few weeks.
On Sunday, hours before voting began, insurgents blew up an improvised explosive device in Kanker District, killing a police officer.
Photo: AFP
The Maoists, who say they are fighting for the rights of local tribes and poor farmers, have put up posters across the state urging voters to boycott the polls.
The vote — one of five state elections this and next month ahead of next year’s general elections — is staggered because of the violence, with a second round on Tuesday next week.
“Some 100,000 security personnel, including central paramilitary force, have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling in the first phase,” senior police officer D.M. Awasthi said.
Election officers were airlifted to the most volatile areas, where landmines planted by Maoists are a common threat, he said.
The state has been governed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party for 15 years.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh is seeking a fourth term and has blamed the rebels for impeding development projects in the state, home to about 25 million people.
Maoist groups are believed to be present in more than 10 states across India, but they are most active in remote parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra states, where much of the population remains mired in poverty and lacks access to critical services.
The left-wing insurgency began in West Bengal State five decades ago when peasant farmers rose up against feudal landlords. About 10,000 people have been killed since.
The military strategy of the Maoists, also known as Naxals, is loosely based on that of Mao Zedong (毛澤東).
Before the end of the year, elections are also to be held in the states of Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan. Results are to be announced for all on Dec. 11.
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