Dantewada:Union Minister of State for Scheduled Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh has claimed that Naxals had an influence over the voters in Dantewada as BJP stares at defeat in the assembly bypolls.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Renuka Singh said BJP workers were threatened and prevented from campaigning for votes.
"Naxalism had an influence over the voting population. They came under undue pressure during voting," she said.
As per the early trends, Congress candidate Devti Karma was leading by a margin of 6,108 votes (total 18,505 votes) in the Dantewada assembly bypoll against her nearest rival Ojaswi Mandavi (12,397 votes) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The ruling Congress and main opposition BJP are locked in a direct fight in this Naxal-affected seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribe, where bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi in a Maoist attack in April this year.
The Minister also said that late Bhima Mandavi had won previous elections and questioned on what has transpired in the area following his death.
Read: Cong candidate leading in Dantewada assembly bypoll count