Sporadic incidents of Naxal violence, coupled with low polling, marked the byelection to Bastar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency in south Chhattisgarh on Sunday. The bypolls recorded a turnout of 40-45 per cent of voters.
At least one special police officer (SPO) — a tribal cop used as a guide in anti-Maoist operations — was killed and an election official injured in firing by Naxals in two separate incidents in Dantewada district during polling, officials here said.
“One SPO was shot dead by Naxals at Katekalyan in Dantewada district. Similarly, Maoists opened fire on a team of election officials, who were returning to district headquarters of Dantewada after conducting election in some booths under Konta block, injuring one of them. The injured, who received two bullets on his left leg, was shifted to Jagdalpur medical college hospital,” state chief electoral officer Sunil Kumar Kuzzur told reporters here.
Reports of landmine blasts and attack on security personnel and election officials by Naxals at several places in the constituency poured in the CEO office here.
Reports said rebels detonated landmines at Kuakonda and Tongpal in Dantewada district targeting an anti-landmine vehicle and a police jeep respectively. But the security personnel travelling in the vehicles escaped unhurt. The Naxals triggered a landmine blast at Tongpal in Dantewada district.
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Cong MLA held for violating poll code
Age Correspondent
raipur
May 8: Congress MLA Amarjit Bhagat was arrested at Kondagaon in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district for alleged violation of code of conduct during the Bastar bypoll. He was held along with 20 other supporters after his vehicle broke a police barricade at a polling booth in Bhanpur.
He was on his way to Raipur from Bhubaneswar.
When contacted, Mr Bhagat, who represents Sitapur Assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh’s Sarguja district, pleaded his innocence and described the police action against him as “political motivated and ploy by the ruling BJP to harass Opposition Congress members”.