Violence in Bihar elections, again

RANCHI/PATNA, FEBRUARY 12: Once again, in a pointer to the growing disaffection and social tension in Bihar, the first phase of Assembly p...

RANCHI/PATNA, FEBRUARY 12: Once again, in a pointer to the growing disaffection and social tension in Bihar, the first phase of Assembly polls, which registered a turnout of just over 50 per cent, was marked by widespread Naxalite violence leaving 22 people dead, 19 of them security personnel. This is a virtual repeat of what happened during the Lok Sabha elections last year.

Police said 150 armed extremists belonging to the People8217;s War Group encircled the polling booth in Kudram village in Garhwa district this afternoon and gunned down four BSF jawans deployed there. They are said to have escaped with a light machine gun and an SLR.

An Assistant Sub Inspector of the Bihar Police and three CRPF jawans were shot dead by Maoist Communist Centre MCC activists near Kolhu village in the Mahdu Assembly constituency of Hazaribagh.

Elsewhere, in a landmine explosion set off by PWG activists in Kaimur district last night, two polling personnel, one ASI and five CRPF jawans were killed. They were carrying election material in a vehicle which was badly damaged, said state DGP K A Jacob. The move to send poll material in a vehicle escorted by CRPF jawans has been criticised by Jacob. He said that they 8220;shouldn8217;t have taken a vehicle8221;, when it had been decided that they would transport the material on foot.

Arvind Pandey, the general secretary of the state IPS association has sought a clarification from the state government about the effectiveness of its security measures. 8220;The entire exercise to check landmine blasts proved to be a futile effort. It was nothing more than a drama.8221; BJP leaders alleged that Laloo Prasad Yadav and Chief Minister Rabri Devi with their supporters were campaigning even today in Danapur and 8220;forcing8221; voters. Danapur witnesssed several clashes between RJD and BJP workers.

In New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill voiced disappointment that despite the extensive security arrangements, so many people had lost their lives. But he emphasised that the explosions were a reflection of the growing social tensions in the least developed areas of the country. 8220;The social and political turmoil resulting from the dissatisfaction and disaffection of the people has to be addressed. This has to be done by all political parties, parliamentarians and leaders,8221; he said.

The first phase of the three-phased assembly polls in Bihar, included some of the most 8220;difficult8221; contests. These are the high profile Danapur assembly constituency from where RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav is contesting, Patna Central being contested by Sushil Kumar Modi, BJP leader and Patna East where state BJP president Nand Kishore Yadav is seeking election.

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Assembly polls were also held in Manipur, but these passed off relatively peacefully with a high 70 per cent poll turnout of the 7.3 lakh electorate in the state. Gill said there had been reports of minor incidents of violence from Manipur, despite a poll boycott called by the NSCN in the state. There were some reports of snatching of ballot boxes, and a repoll was likely in some 60 polling stations out of 1064, Gill said. However, reports from the state stated that polling had to be adjourned in at least 44 polling stations following incidents of snatching away of ballot boxes and other irregularities.

The state BJP alleged that the Naxalites were being patronised by the ruling RJD and that these incidents occurred in South Bihar where the party is steadily losing support. In the Naxalite-dominated belts, the polling was not more than 30 per cent, while in Patna, the turnout was around 40 per cent.