The CPI (Maoist) threat is looming large over the panchayat elections already underway in Maharashtra and beginning in Orissa from Saturday. The Union home ministry has alerted these two states against Maoists stepping up their attacks to disrupt the poll process and create trouble in the districts — many of which are Naxal hotbeds.
In a clear signal that the banned CPI (Maoist) are opposed to the “empowerment of the local people”, government officials here said that the four BSF officials who died in a Naxal attack in Orissa on Friday were targeted as they were returning in the vehicle after attending a security meeting with the district administration for forthcoming panchayat elections in the state.
Officials said there are intelligence inputs to suggest that the Naxals have decided to attack security forces and other officials involved in the polling process. “The Maoist strategy is to fiercely resist the empowerment of the local people in these areas. They will either try to field their sympathisers or disrupt the polling process by blasting IEDs,” a security official said.
Incidentally, the spot of the fresh Naxal attack is next to the Balimela reservoir, where 38 Greyhound commandos of the Andhra Pradesh police were killed Naxals in a deadly attack in June 2008 when they were crossing the water body in a boat.
At least two advisories were sent to both states by the Centre last week. Though the advisories did not have specific inputs, they had warned security forces of their movements in the Naxal-dominated zones, particularly districts bordering Chhattisgarh and AP in Orissa and Gadchiroli among others in Maharashtra. Security officials confessed security forces travelling in the Maoists hotbeds makes them vulnerable to such attacks by Maoists. “There are bound to be problems and setbacks but all caution is being exercised,” an official remarked.