Naxal teams may subvert polls: Centre

Ahead of Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh,the Ministry of Home Affairs has written to the Chhattisgarh government about intelligence inputs that Maoists may have deployed small action teams to attack helicopters,especially during landing and take off during the elections. In a letter,the Centre said Maoists may attack soft targets,particularly outside their core areas. Elections are scheduled in two phases between November 11-19.

The Centre has called for strengthening anti-Naxal operations and an awareness campaign to encourage people to vote. It expressed concern over a lull in anti-Naxal operations by the State police,CRPF and BSF. After the May 25 attack on a Congress convoy,the Centre had drawn up a fresh strategy to counter Maoists,but things have not moved on the ground. Intelligence Bureau inputs indicated Maoist regrouping in Chhattisgarh and being joined by groups from Orissa and Maharashtra.

The letter said,Maoists have been threatening government employees,especially school teachers,not to take poll duties. Inputs indicate Maoists are preparing for fabrication of IEDs and Molotov cocktails and have already planted IEDs on the main highways and arterial roads…

These reports have spurred the Centre to mobilize 400 companies of paramilitary forces for election duty in Chhattisgarh,said officials. The alert said,Maoist may target security forces,political leaders and polling parties,besides indulging in arson,abduction of candidates and looting of EVMs. Above inputs indicate that the CPI (Maoist) will make a wholehearted effort with a well laid down strategy to subvert elections. The Maoists,at the time of election adopt a two-pronged strategy of creating an atmosphere of fear and vigorous poll boycott campaign…