Given the increased security threat posed by Naxals during the Lok Sabha polls, the Chhattisgarh State Election Commission (SEC) has adjusted its strategy compared to the Assembly polls held last November. There has been an increase in the number of critical polling stations and those scheduled for relocation, as well as an uptick in the expected helicopter drop-offs.
A senior SEC official said that due to better visibility during the summer months when the Lok Sabha polls are scheduled, the Maoists are more active and target those from the administration necessitating such changes.
“As many 1,726 polling stations — all in the Maoist-affected Bastar region — have been marked as critical this time compared to 1,670 such polling stations during the Assembly polls. The number of polling stations marked as ‘vulnerable’ will however remain the same at 109,” said the official.
