Reds smell grand alliance win in polls

PATNA: Maoists, it seems, have developed a soft corner for chief minister Nitish Kumar after he joined hands with RJD and Congress to form Mahagathbandhan. Despite poll boycott call given by the rebel outfit, the first phase of election in 10 Maoist-hit districts went off peacefully on October 12. Apart from recovery of IEDs in Gaya, Rohtas and Kaimur districts, no major incident of Maoist violence has been reported in the run up to second phase of election as well.
A Maoist leader told TOI that going by the people’s choice and voting trend, they would not create any disturbance in the election. Maoists had extended their two-day Magadh zone bandh by a day which coincided with PM Narendra Modi’s rally in Gaya on August 9. However, the bandh did not have any impact on Modi’s meeting.
The Maoists have asked voters in Jamui, Gaya, Aurangabad and Jehanabad to stay away from polls. The rebel outfit has pasted posters and circulated long notes asking the villagers to boycott election. “Soon after the Election Commission announced the polling dates for Bihar, the Maoists started issuing poll boycott calls in their strongholds in a bid to make their presence felt. However, the influence of Maoists is gradually diminishing in all districts. We have seized handbills, posters and circulars from Maoist-infested pockets,” CRPF IG Arun Kumar said.
The 3,637 polling stations in six districts – Gaya, Rohtas, Kaimur, Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Arwal – where polling will be held in the second phase on Friday have been declared as Maoist-affected. Although security forces have attributed peaceful election in the first phase to heavy deployment of forces in all Left wing extremism (LWE)-affected areas, the other theory making the rounds is that Maoists are supporting the Mahagathbandhan. Around 673 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) have been deployed in 32 assembly constituencies going to polls in the second phase on Friday.
Incidents of Naxal violence stood at 33 and 62 in 2014 and 2015 (till April), respectively while the security forces arrested 126 and 113 Maoist activists during the same period, the highest among top 10 LWE-hit states.
Two CRPF jawans were killed at the entrance of Bhimbandh jungle in Jamui district when Maoists ambushed them during 2014 parliamentary election. The Left ultras have been issuing such diktats over past several years, but response from people is on the wane. Ignoring the poll boycott call of Maoists, people came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in 2010 assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.