Bastar: Security forces have intensified the anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh ahead of the upcoming assembly elections with around one lakh security forces personnel being deployed in Naxal stronghold Bastar, sources said. Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh are being held in two phases on November 7 and 17.
In the first phase in Chhattisgarh, voting will be held on 12 assembly seats of Bastar division on November 7. Inspector General of Police Bastar Division, Sundaraj P said that preparations are underway to conduct the 2023 assembly elections peacefully. “All types of operations are being carried out continuously in different districts of Bastar division and checking is being done by setting up check posts in the border areas.
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Bastar Police already has a special force. Forces are also coming from outside during elections. Peaceful elections will be conducted. We have done a lot of homework so that the security system can be strengthened,” the IG said. While the IG did not divulge the actual number of security forces personnel deployed in Bastar, sources said that, Bastar elections will be conducted under the security of around 1 lakh personnel.
Significantly, Bastar has been a Naxal stronghold with the Naxals believed to be eyeing the election time to carry out sabotage attacks on the security forces personnel. For this reason, the anti-Naxal operations are being intensified with the District Police, DRG, STF, Cobra commandos and central paramilitary forces CRPF, BSF, ITBP personnel working in tandem to ensure peaceful elections.
Bastar IG Sundarraj P said that the illegal and banned CPI Maoists have “always stood against democracy”. “During elections, they attack polling parties, target security personnel or create obstacles in other election related activities. But such incidents have decreased since the last elections. Naxalites were not able to carry out any major incidents in the 2018 elections,” he said.
