Malkangiri: Swabhiman Anchal, the once upon a time Maoist bastion in Malkangiri district also known as the cut-off region will go to the polls tomorrow during the fifth phase polling of the three-tier panchayat elections in the State.
For a decade, inhabitants of the region were deprived of exercising their franchise for fear of the Reds.
Elections will be held in 18 panchayats and two Zilla Parishad zones under the Chitrakonda block. A total of 41,582 electors in this block will be exercising their franchise in 222 booths. Out of the 222 booths, 81 are sensitive and 60 are very sensitive. As many as 54 booths have been relocated for fear of Maoists. Voters of these Maoist-infested areas will be ferried by boats to their respective booths for free by the district administration.
A total of 342 candidates are contesting the three-tier panchayat polls from the block which include 7 candidates for two Zilla Parishad zones, 59 sarpanch candidates, 41 Samiti Member candidates, and 198 uncontested candidates.
The district administration has arranged a special launch for the despatch of 15 polling parties to three panchayats of the Swabhiman Anchal. While 11 polling parties are being despatched to Jantri panchayat, 03 parties are being despatched to Andrapalli and 01 party is being despatched to Jodaamba panchayat.
“After the launch reaches Ghanabeda tonight, polling parties will spend their night at the BSF camp. The parties will leave for their respective booths tomorrow morning,” informed Balmukund Bhuyan, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Malkangiri.
Since people of this Maoist-affected region will be casting their votes in the rural polls after nearly 10 years, heavy deployment of security forces which include SOG, DVF, and BSF has been made for the conduct of free and fair polls.
On the other hand from the security point of view, Malkangiri SP Nitesh Wadhwani has requested media personnel not to venture beyond the police camp at Jantapai in the Swabhiman Anchal. Wadhwani said that drones fitted with cameras will be keeping a vigil during the elections.
