With the Naxals making known their intentions clear ahead of the lok Sabha polls with the deadly strike in Chhattisgarh recently, more than 6,000 additional central paramilitary personnel have been sent to Maoist-hit States to beef up security and ensure peace during the forthcoming elections. The polling for the nine-phased general elections will commence on April 7 and end on May 12.
The forces are in addition to the 90,000 central paramilitary personnel currently engaged in anti-Naxal operations in nine States -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Official sources said the additional forces have been sent mainly to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar. The decision has come after the Maoists killed 15 security personnel and a civilian in an ambush in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.
Apart from those engaged in the fight against the Red rebels, the Home Ministry is also making available around two lakh central paramilitary personnel to ensure peaceful polling across the country.
The Centre has identified 33 districts in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as highly sensitive as the highest number of violent incidents involving Maoists was reported in lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2009 and assembly polls in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013 in these districts.