 "Low presence of security personnel affects turnout in Bastar")
The insufficient security personnel deployed in Bastar to conduct the Lok Sabha elections had affected the polling turnout in the constituency.
Country’s worst Naxal-infested Bastar Lok Sabha constituency went to the polls on Thursday. The initial figure suggested that 50 per cent polling in the constituency even as parties from the interior areas were yet to return to the headquarters. By Saturday afternoon, all the polling parties would be back, the officials said.
Just five months ago, people came out in large number to exercise their franchise in the state polls. The eight assembly segment in the constituency recorded 70 to 80 per cent polling. The political experts were eyeing a similar turnout in the Lok Sabha but only half the Bastar voters could cast their votes.
In the assembly elections, near about 100,000 security personnel were on duty that was reduced to more than half for the Lok Sabha election in Bastar. When there would be a full-proof security arrangement, people would come out in large number to cast their votes, one of the officials said, adding that it had been a proven fact in Bastar. Since there was no sign of terror or fear, people did not hesitate to participate in the polling process.
In Mardum village that had comes under the “liberated” zone of Naxalites, more than 70% polling was recorded on Thursday. A heavy deployment of para-military forces was in place in the village that bordered Abujmaad---where the rebels had the allegedly set up its headquarters.
The BJP leaders claimed that the low polling was a sense of public mood to repeat the BJP candidate. “It was an average polling as compared to Bastar,” political analyst and BJP leader Subhash Rao said. It indicated that there was no mass sentiment against the incumbent BJP MP, he added.
Country’s worst Naxal-infested Bastar Lok Sabha constituency went to the polls on Thursday. The initial figure suggested that 50 per cent polling in the constituency even as parties from the interior areas were yet to return to the headquarters. By Saturday afternoon, all the polling parties would be back, the officials said.
Just five months ago, people came out in large number to exercise their franchise in the state polls. The eight assembly segment in the constituency recorded 70 to 80 per cent polling. The political experts were eyeing a similar turnout in the Lok Sabha but only half the Bastar voters could cast their votes.
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“The insufficient force deployed in the election duty in interior areas affected the polling percentage,” senior intelligence officials said.
In the assembly elections, near about 100,000 security personnel were on duty that was reduced to more than half for the Lok Sabha election in Bastar. When there would be a full-proof security arrangement, people would come out in large number to cast their votes, one of the officials said, adding that it had been a proven fact in Bastar. Since there was no sign of terror or fear, people did not hesitate to participate in the polling process.
In Mardum village that had comes under the “liberated” zone of Naxalites, more than 70% polling was recorded on Thursday. A heavy deployment of para-military forces was in place in the village that bordered Abujmaad---where the rebels had the allegedly set up its headquarters.
The BJP leaders claimed that the low polling was a sense of public mood to repeat the BJP candidate. “It was an average polling as compared to Bastar,” political analyst and BJP leader Subhash Rao said. It indicated that there was no mass sentiment against the incumbent BJP MP, he added.