Raipur: A day before the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections, Naxalites triggered a pressure bomb blast in Kanker district, injuring three people, including a BSF jawan and two members of the polling team. The incident took place on Monday morning when a joint team of BSF and the district force was escorting four polling parties to their respective booths in the Naxal-affected Chhotebetiya police station area.
According to a police officer, the blast occurred near Rengagondi village, where the Naxalites had planted a pressure bomb on the road. The explosion hit BSF constable Chandraprakash Sewal and two members of the polling team, who were walking ahead of the vehicles. The officer said that the injured were immediately evacuated and taken to Chhotebetiya for treatment. He added that their condition was stable and they were out of danger.
The officer also said that the polling team and the security personnel reached their destination safely and the voting process was not affected by the attack. He said that the security forces had launched a combing operation in the area to nab the Naxalites involved in the blast.
The first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh will be held on Tuesday, November 7, for 20 assembly constituencies, including 12 in the Naxal-infested Bastar region. The second phase will be held on November 17 for the remaining 70 seats. The state has a total of 90 assembly seats and the results will be declared on December 3. The Naxalites have given a call for a boycott of the elections and have threatened to disrupt the polling process.
