A day after the Maoists killed 15 security personnel and one civilian in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh, the Maoist-hit Malkanagiri district administration, which shares its border with Sukma, on Wednesday asked for three choppers and additional Central forces for conducting free and fair lok Sabha and Assembly elections next month.
“The district currently has about three battalions of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and have asked for three more battalions of Central forces,”said Malkanagiri Superintendent of Police Akhileswar Singh. Similarly, the district administration has asked the State Government to provide three choppers during the election.
Polling will be held simultaneously for the 147-member Assembly and 21 lok Sabha seats from Odisha in two phases: April 10 and 17. The balloting in Malkangiri district would be conducted on April 10 in the first phase.
Singh said the report that some Maoists from the district were part of the group that carried out the audacious attack in Chhattisgarh Tuesday, killing 15 security personnel, seems to be untrue.