The panchayat elections in palamu have generated enormous interests and have also upped stakes right from the splinter group of Naxals down to the big CPI(Maoists) active locally. Inputs coming in suggest that the splinter group of Naxals are influencing the panchayat poll by way of wielding their clout even for the election of panchayat samiti member better known as ward sadasya.
A source close to the TPC outfit told The Pioneer that ward sadasya is quite important as he is the person who will chart the course for the mukhiya. The splinter groups are hovering over every post of panchayat elections here in Palamu. Palamu district panchayati raj officer Shanti Kumar Pandey who refrains from making any statement agreed in person that various outfits of the naxals are influencing and wielding their clout in this poll.
Sources said the coveted post of mukhiya is drawing intense rivalry among the splinter group of naxals. Report of intimidation is coming in wherein the naxals are issuing threats not to jump in poll fray against their will or pressure is being built up among the voters to garner support to naxal backed candidate.
An Additional Director General of police Anurag Gupta who was in Daltonganj along with DGP DK Pandey in October had welcomed naxals shunning violence and joining the mainstay of society by joining democratic process. Even DIG Palamu Saket Kumar Singh had hailed the outlaws laying behind their weapons and joining the poll fray.
Sources said this is a major shift in the stand of the naxals here who used to corner headlines in news papers for their rhetoric of poll boycott call in times of elections be it Assembly or Parliament but this time if reports are any indication the naxals are directly involved in the poll business. A well placed source has told The Pioneer that a top face of the Maoist has even attended a prayer in a place of worship to garner the support of a particular community for a mukhiya candidate.