Nine Trinamool Congress leaders, including party president and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, are on the Maoist hit list.
Intelligence agencies say the other eight are Union ministers Mukul Roy and Sisir Kumar Adhikari, Lok Sabha member Suvendu Adh-ikari and MLAs Suku-mar Hansda, Srikanta Mahato, Dulal Murmu, Chudamani Mahato and Shantiram Mahato.
Intelligence sources said the state unit of IB had been developing a lot of information for the last few days through sources in Naxal-infested areas of Jangalmahal, Bankura, West Midnapore and Purulia. It was learnt that Maoists have drawn up a list of top Trinamool leaders to eliminate.
“There is specific information that they want to target the chief minister’s convoy with explosives,” a senior government official said.
Sources said the Centre had taken the threat perception extremely seriously and was examining the inputs in detail. It has been decided that Mamata Banerjee’s security cover will be beefed up considerably, specially when she travels outside Kolkata.
The Maoists are said to be upset over the failure of peace talks and their inability to strike a deal with the state government.