Polling stations to be opened in 40 Naxalite-affected villages of Bastar

Chhattisgarh Assembly elections 2023: In a first, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will be setting up polling centres at villages in Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, and Dantewada districts

In a significant development and a first in Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh, polling stations will open in 40 villages of the Bastar division.

The 40 Naxalite-affected villages have never had a polling station before. But with the upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections in naxal-hit Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, and Dantewada districts, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will be setting up polling centres at villages.

Earlier, these villages were inaccessible, and the Communist Party of India (Maoist) used to dictate that whoever cast a vote would be punished.

Sundarraj P, Bastar Range Inspector-General of Police (IG), said that in the last four years, over 63 security forces camps have been established in the insurgency-hit Bastar division.

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Sundarraj P said, "A total of 63 camps of security forces in interior and forested areas of Bastar region have been established in the last four years. Earlier, the polling centres of these places were shifted to other areas. But this year, our effort will be to ensure the establishment of maximum polling centres at these places and opening new centres as it will strengthen democracy.”

The IG said that the new generation will be able to exercise their voting rights for the first time, and senior citizens, who were deprived of their voting rights due to the naxal threat, will also get the opportunity at 60-70 years old.

"Our effort is to ensure a safe and secure environment for voters to exercise their rights. We are making extensive efforts to ensure the establishment of polling centres at over 40 places and the process is underway,” the IG said.