Ahead of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s back-to-back rallies in South Bihar on Wednesday and Thursday, security agencies have seized a massive cache of explosives, detonators and gelatin sticks.
As many as 12,075 electronic detonators, 129 kg of explosives and 75 gelatin sticks were seized from Kaimur (Bhabua) and Nawada districts in Bihar in the run up to the elections.
A man was arrested after 12,000 electronic detonators and 129 kg of explosives were recovered from his car on the Grand Trunk Road in Kaimur district on Tuesday, Superintendent of Police Ratna Mani Sanjeev told newspersons.
“All the detonators are electronic. They have been sent to the Forensic Science laboratory for tests. The arrested person was also carrying ammonium nitrate and gelatin sticks in his car,” Sanjeev said.
Police also seized 75 detonators, the same number of gelatin sticks, one pistol and two bullets from a house at Dularpur in Nawada district late last night.
The house owner Satyendra Yadav was arrested, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rajauli Sarfar Rahman said.
While Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar are scheduled to address an election rally at Nawada on Wednesday, Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to address a rally at Sasaram on Thursday.
The banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) has given a call for boycott of polls scheduled for April 10 in these constituencies.
Meanwhile, the CRPF, the lead coordinator of forces for the polls, has established a Seized literature Analysis Team at the paramilitary directorate in New Delhi to analyse the trend to be followed by the extremists. On receipt of any seizure, the team rushes to the location for study and analysis.
The team has also prepared a booklet on important strikes carried out by Naxals that has been circulated to all the sectors as a precautionary measure before the polls, a senior official said.
According to the paramilitary force, recovery of IEDs in Jharkhand is on the higher side in the run up to the polls.
Inputs with the CRPF also suggest that Madhya, Magadh and Bihar-Jharkhand Border Zonal Committee (BJBZC) have accumulated sufficient chemicals and other materials to plant IEDs.
Apart from the existing company and special platoon, the Maoists are estimated to have added two platoons. The ultras have also strengthened themselves in the Chakrabanda forests areas of Gaya and Aurangabad districts. The BJBZC also plans to provide military and political support to Santhal Pargana Zone.
In adjoining Jharkhand, the Naxals are the strongest in Koel-Shankh and every Zonal Committee is accumulating war materials like arms/ammunition, medicines and eatables especially for the General Elections 2014. The ultras have planned to target BJP, Congress and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and their allies in the State.
The Naxals have created “special offence and special support teams” within the companies of People’s liberation Guerilla Army to thwart the electoral process.
In Chhattisgarh, the Maoists have formulated a strategy for the forthcoming polls and are likely to target security forces and political parties in their bid to “compensate” the failure in causing any damage during the Assembly elections in the State. Maximum attacks are likely in the core areas of PlGA battalions in Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Kanker. The paramilitary estimated that IEDs will be used extensively, the CRPF official said.
A similar threat from the Maoists persists in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.