Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer Subrat Sahoo offered his salute to the indomitable spirit of the villagers having crossed the Indiravati River at different places mainly in Sukma and Dantewada to participate in the biggest democratic exercise.
Briefing the media about the first phase of polling, he said that the villagers of Pahurnar, Tumdigunda, Cherpal and Karaurgaon irrespective of all the threats and warnings from the Maoists in the region, had crossed over the river using local boat to cast their vote. Around 4500 electors had crossed the river. In year 2013 polls, at Banda of Sukma and at Kistaram of Dantewada when the villagers were crossing the river using the traditional wooden boat was attacked by the Maoists. They had overturned the boat. This year, irrespective of the threat looming over them, the villagers crossed the river to participate in the polling process. On poll boycott call issued by Maoists, Sahoo said that in village Amapani and its dependent village under Kanker constituency, the polling centre was shifted to Tema. The information was given to all the political parties and villages, one month in advance.