EC ensures tack to tackle Maoists

​Hyderabad: Following a fresh bout of violence by Maoists in the poll-bound border district of Chhattisgarh, the Election Commission of India has ensured that special security measures are in place in the identified 13 Maoists-affected assembly segments in Telangana.

The commission announced the following constituencies as naxal affected - Sirpur, Chennur (SC reserved), Bellampally (SC), Macherial, Asifabad (ST), Manthani, Bhupalpally, Mulgu (ST), Pinapaka (ST), Yellandu (ST), Kothagudem, Aswaraopeta (ST) and Bhadrachalam (ST).

Personal protection for all the contestants in the extremist-affected segments has been increased. Apart from paramilitary forces, Greyhounds personnel were also deputed in the hypersensitive areas. All the contestants were asked to inform local police before taking up poll campaign every day, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar said that special security measures have already been taken up by the state police in all the areas.

The Commission also took serious note of the Maoists call to boycott election in Telangana, the CEO said, adding that left-wing extremism was not that much active in Telangana when compared to the neighbouring district of Chhattisgarh.

However, all necessary measures were being taken to ensure the safety of all the contestants and also the conduct of the polling on December 7 without any untoward incidents. State Police are taking care of the safety of every contestant during their visit to the villages, official added.

Referring to the growing number of complaints against the conduct of community-based meetings by the parties to lure the voters, Rajat Kumar said that it was noticed that certain leaders of political parties/ contestants were resorting to influencing the voters in the name of caste and religion and were attending caste and religion-based gatherings and even making promises to a particular castes /religious group. “This is not permitted in the context of elections,” he affirmed.

These activities were against the judgment of the apex court, and quoting the judgment, he said, any appeal to elector to vote or refrain from voting for a candidate, on the grounds of religion, caste, race, community or language of the candidate, election agent, any person making the appeal with the consent of the candidates, would amount to a corrupt practice.

In this context, the CEO also recalled sections 123 (3) and 123 (3A) of the Representation of People Act of 1951, which had prohibited any appeal for votes in the name of religion, race, caste, community and language. As a first in the country, the official also said that a software is being developed in collaboration with a private agency to ascertain model code of conduct by parties and candidates on social media also.

The new software tool will be useful ahead of 2019 general elections in the country. Meanwhlile, the police are on a high state of alert to face any eventuality from the outlawed CPI (Maoist). According to police, there is not much threat to Telangana from Maoists but in view of elections they do not rule of out "action" by the ultras in a few places like Bhadrachalam which borders with Chhattisgarh.

The police said that their action teams are ready to take Maoists on if they resort to any trouble. The Greyhounds are adequately deployed. Police combing has been intensified and roads had been cleared and counter-action teams are on the move.