Polling teams have left for the designated centers for April 17 lok Sabha polls in Rajnandgaon constituency.
This apart, polling officials have been sent under heavy security cover to the insurgency infested regions of Manpur-Mohla and Salhewara-Bakarkatta.
The polling officers along with poll materials left for their destination in private buses and on trucks. Security personnel have been given the responsibility to take polling teams to their respective polling booths under security cover.
The polling teams of Manpur, Mohla, Audhi, Barkatta, Gatapar and Salhewara areas would be kept under strict observation. The district administration has also sought the help of paramilitary force to deal with Naxal attacks.
It has been said that because of limited force in the Naxal-infested areas, the police consider it as risky to transport polling teams to the polling centres and back. However, based on the information about the Naxal activities, the police are alert of the security.
It has been said that the insurgents might try to loot EVMs from the polling teams. In the last lok Sabha election, a non-police official had been killed in the Naxal attack. The police are changing its strategy about security daily. Cooperation from the bordering states has been sought.
The administration has launched joint search drive at Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra borders. About 447 polling booths of the district are most sensitive. The police have shifted some booths to other places.
Dispatching of polling teams has started here from Tuesday. Polling teams have left for polling centres under police observation to conduct election. Some employees were seen worried of the Naxal attacks. Essential goods for the polling teams were sent on trucks. The polling officials deployed in Naxal-infested areas were seen worried more about their return.