Security forces on Thursday cancelled the return of an about 20-member poll team as Naxals launched heavy firing on a polling station in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district even as violence remains under control across left Wing Extremism-hit areas.
CRPF chief Dilip Trivedi said a strong contingent of the paramilitary force is guarding the poll officials and they will return on Friday morning as night evacuation could be risky.
“The forces will bring them out tomorrow. They are safe and they will spend the night at the location. Their withdrawl has been cancelled due to heavy firing by Naxals,” Trivedi told PTI as he declined to give out the whereabouts of the standoff in view of security concerns.
Official said there were enough intelligence to suggest that Naxals would ambush the poll team during its return.The CRPF chief, who is incharge for deployment of all security forces during the elections process, said conclusion of polls in the “most difficult” areas gives him a sense of relief but not without the grief of losing his men who laid down their lives in the line of duty.