Ritesh K Srivastava
Maoist threat has severely dampened the spirit of polls in the state of Chhattisgarh, which is prepared to hold its first phase of Assembly Elections on November 14. The political parties have deployed all resources at their command and brought senior leaders and movie stars in the field to woo voters to vote in favour of their candidates.
On Nov 14, voters in Chhattisgarh, one of India`s youngest states, will cast their ballot to elect 39 of the state`s 90 legislators from 10 districts.
According to the Election Commission, at least 6.4 million of the tribal state`s 15.2 million voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 8,883 polling stations to decide the electoral fortunes of 379 candidates, including 36 women, in the first phase.
The first phase polls will decide the fortunes of Chief Minister Raman Singh (Rajnandgaon ), Opposition leader and Congress candidate Mahendra Karma (Dantewada) and House Speaker Premprakash Pandey (Bhilai).
Voters in the constituencies of Cabinet Ministers Ajay Chandrakar (Kurud) and Hemchand Yadav (Durg city), besides Congress leader Motilal Vora`s son Arun Vora and Congress leader Arvind Netam`s daughter Priti Netam, will also cast their valuable votes on Nov 14.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are contesting all 39 seats. The Communist Party of India (CPI) has fielded nine candidates and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) three.
At least 10 women candidates from each of the three main political parties-- BJP, BSP and the Congress--will be in the electoral fray during the Assembly elections. While BJP and BSP, who are contesting from all the 90 seats, have given tickets to 10 women each, Congress has given tickets to 10 women from a total 87 seats it is contesting.
The Maoist Threat
Baring their ugly fangs once again, the Maoist guerrillas have announced their decision to boycott the forthcoming polls in the tribal state. The Maoists have cleared their stance through a press release that they are not supporting any political party or candidate in the polls. The Maoists have also warned that they won’t allow any leader to enter the villages.
The fear of Naxal attacks on political leaders and party offices has infused a sense of fear among the common voters and complicated things for the Election Commission, which is determined to conduct hassle free and smooth elections.
The fear psychosis created by the Naxalites has severely affected the election campaigning and is also likely to bear consequences on the voters’ turnout during the first and second phase of polls on November 14 and 20, respectively.
After the recent killing of two local leaders of Chhattisgarh’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Dantewada district by the Maoist fighters, the security of voters and law and order situation has become a major cause of concern for the state administration.
The incident took place in a forested area, some 450 km south of Jagdalpur, when the two leaders - Ramesh Rathor and Suryaprakash - were campaigning in their vehicle.
The gruesome killings of the two local BJP leaders have given credence to the reports, which claimed that Naxal activities will be on the rise during the polls.
Cheap Rice For Votes
In this year’s Assembly polls ‘rice’ has become a major weapon to garner maximum votes. The top political parties including the BJP and Congress are playing rice card to attract maximum voters. The Raman Singh govt has already announced that if it is voted back to power, the party will implement the Rs 3/ kg rice for those Below the Poverty Line.
In response to this, Congress in its election manifesto has promised to give 35 kg of rice a month at Rs 2 per kg to ‘all’ except income tax payers.
The incumbent BJP has declared “development and governance” as its main poll issue.
The Raman Singh government is left with no option than to focus more on issues such as development and better governance since the credibility of those at the forefront of Salwa Judum movement (People’s militia) is in tatters.
Similarly, both Congress and the BJP have declared to provide free electricity to farmers and interest free farm loans if voted to power.
Special Emphasis On Naxal-Dominated Bastar Region
The Election Commission has made special arrangements for ensuring smooth polling in the Naxal-affected Bastar region.
Besides 12 constituencies in Bastar region, Durg district`s 12 constituencies, six in Rajnandgaon district, four in Mahasamund district, three in Dhamtari district and two in Kabirdham district will also go to polls in the first phase.
The polling in Bastar’s 12 seats begins at around 7 am and end at 3 pm, where the security personnel will have a difficult task to escort voters and polling parties as well.
The polling timing for the rest of the seats will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The decision to start polling early in Bastar`s Dantewada, Konta, Bijapur, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Bastar, Jagdalpur, Chitrakot, Narayanpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur and Kanker has been taken in view of insurgency problems, to ensure the polling teams sent in the interior regions return (to district headquarters) the same day safely.
Bastar region is home to five districts- Kanker, Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Bastar. About 65,000 policemen have been deployed in the 12 constituencies to take on Maoist guerrillas who have vowed to disrupt the elections. Bastar region`s border with Orissa and Andhra Pradesh has been sealed off.
Bastar has witnessed over 1,100 casualties in Maoist violence since 2004.
Salwa Judum
The Maoists plans to disrupt elections in Dantewada district poses a tough challenge to the sitting MLA from the area, Congress leader Mahendra Karma, who has been instrumental in the Salwa Judum (People’s Militia) campaign against Naxals.
He traded the idea of a people’s movement against Maoists to the BJP government in 2006, and was himself involved in the Salwa Judum’s anti-Naxal protests.
He is contesting from Dantewada seat for the third time amidst tough opposition from the Maoists, who have lambasted Karma and a few other leaders.
Karma was recently booked by the local police for allegedly bribing electors to vote in his favour after he was caught on camera offering currency notes to a tribal woman during campaigning in Dantewada.
Auxiliary Polling Stations
The Election Commission has set up auxiliary polling stations at Salwa Judum relief camps to enable 50,000 odd tribal settlers to exercise their franchise. They had left their villages after Maoists began targeting them for participating in the civil militia movement, Salwa Judum, from the middle of 2005.
The Election Commission has deployed three times more force in the state compared to previous years. Border Security Force (BSF) has been assigned the most sensitive Dantewada and Bijapur districts.
Authorities have kept ready about a dozen choppers in Bastar to airlift polling parties to polling booths and also bring them back to safer areas before sunset.
In the 2003 election, terror, fear and insecurity were the main issues. This has changed and development has emerged as the core election issue this time. Now it is up to the people to choose if they want to return to the regime of terror, fear and insecurity or vote for the BJP for another phase of development in the state.
