18 seats go to polls today in the shadow of violence

CHHATTISGARH TENSE BSF jawan killed; IED blasts, tight security in interiors

RAIPUR: Gunshots and explosions rang out of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, killing a Border Security Force (BSF) officer and a Maoist in two separate incidents of violence a day before the first phase of assembly elections in 18 sensitive seats in the insurgency-hit state that has seen a string of attacks in the run-up to polling.

Voting will be held on Monday across seven districts in Maoistaffected Bastar region and Rajnandgaon district, where officials have deployed 100,000 security personnel and pressed helicopters into service to airlift polling staff to booths. At least six attacks by suspected Maoists, who have asked people to boycott the elections, have killed 14 people, including a Doordarshan cameraperson covering the elections, in the past 15 days.

The state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, which has launched an aggressive campaign to return to power after 15 years, are hopeful of a good showing in the first phase. Five years ago, the Congress won 12 of these 18 seats, months after an audacious attack by Maoists in Bastar that killed at least 25 people, including senior party leaders.

“The first phase of polling is very important for both parties. The pattern and polling will reflect the political mood in Chhattisgarh,” said Raipur-based political commentator Ashok Tomar.

Hours before polling, state Congress vice-president Ghanaram Sahu announced his resignation from the party on Sunday night, becoming the second senior leader to quit the party ahead of elections.

In a three-way contest, another player — an alliance of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and former Congress chief minister Ajit Jogi’s Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) — is looking to play a crucial role in shaping the outcome.

The next and last phase of the Chhattisgarh elections will be held on November 20. Political pundits are keenly watching the polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Telangana, which come months ahead of next year’s general elections.

The 2013 polls for Chhattisgarh’s 90 assembly constituencies were close, with the BJP winning 49 seats and the Congress 39. The difference in vote share between them was less than one percentage point. Mayawati’s BSP secured one seat and the other went to an independent.