Raipur: As the security forces have intensified campaign against Maoists in interiors of Bastar, residents of far-fledged areas are participating actively in the festival of democracy, overcoming the fear created by the extremist group through acts of violence over the years.
On Monday, February 17 the state witnessed an impressive turnout of voters with over 75 per cent of voters exercising their franchise in the first phase of Panchayat polls including from all the seven districts of Maoist-hit Bastar where voting concluded without any disturbance.
According to the reports, large queue of voters were seen at places where polls were organised for the first time in decades, marking the change in scenario in the interiors of Bastar once dominated by the anti-democratic Maoist group.
The turnout of voters holds significance as this is said to be the first time ever that no boycott calls were given by the Maoists before elections since the time they firmed their grip in the forested landscapes of Bastar.
Affirming their belief in the democratic setup, a significant number of voters turned out to cast their votes in the Manpur block, an area notorious for Maoist activities. Similar scenes were also witnessed at Pusnaar village of Bijapur, a core insurgency-hit area and Kulhari Ghat of Gariaband where a fierce encounter took placed recently.
In Darbha block of Bastar, an area notorious for Jheeram valley massacre of 2013, a large number of people lined up to cast their votes. Here an impressive turnout of around 80 per cent was recorded, reflecting the enthusiasm within masses in exercising their voting rights.
Impressive turnout of voters were also recorded in Sukma block, Dantewada block, Bijapur and Geedam block of south Bastar, a core area for Maoists since decades. The voting trends are likely to be continued in the second and final phase of the Panchayat polls scheduled to be held on February 20 and February 23.
Notably, the election commission has set up a total of 50 booths in extremely sensitive areas for three phases of Panchayat polls in Bijapur district alone. Sixty such booths in sensitive areas and 25 in extremely sensitive places were also set up in neighboring Sukma district that includes villages where elections are to be held after a notable gap of four decades.
In all, around 10,000 polling booths were setup across the state with voting exercise on sensitive places carried out between 6.45 in the morning to 2 pm in the afternoon.
Hailing the impressive turnout of voters in the first phase of Panchayat polls in Maoist-hit areas, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday said “ In Bastar division, ballot is now being used instead of bullet. After many years the villagers there voted fearlessly in the Panchayat elections.
“This is the first time that there was no protest against the Panchayat elections in Maoist-affected areas. It is the result of the efforts of our good governance government that Maoism is coming to an end and the victory flag of democracy is flying high,” he added.
बस्तर संभाग में अब बुलेट की जगह बैलेट का जोर चल रहा है। वर्षों बाद वहां के ग्रामीणों ने निर्भय होकर पंचायत चुनाव में मतदान किया।
पहली बार ऐसा हुआ है कि नक्सल प्रभावित क्षेत्रों में पंचायत चुनाव का कोई विरोध नहीं हुआ। यह हमारी सुशासन सरकार के प्रयासों का परिणाम है कि नक्सलवाद का… pic.twitter.com/ZPZ6SRKVyv
— Vishnu Deo Sai (@vishnudsai) February 18, 2025
Notably, a total of 40 security camps were erected by the forces in the Maoist affected areas of Bastar in last two year alone with most of them coming up in the south Bastar region, a core area for Maoists.
Established in remote areas, these newly erected camps have not only turned out to be a game changer in containing the Maoist’s grip on the masses of adjoining areas, but they have also acted as an operational base for major counter-insurgency operations in adjoining forest regions. Their establishment has further resulted in curbing the frequent and unchecked movement of the extremists.
The opening of such camps backed by continuous operations against the extremists has believed to instill a sense of security among the residents who were earlier reluctant in participating in elections due to fear of boycott calls given by the outlawed group, often resulting in poor turnout of voters in areas dominated by the group.
