MP bypoll: Admin focus on dacoity-affected areas

Gwalior, Mar 7 (UNI) The banditry-affected areas of this parliamentary constituency are in the administration's focus since dacoit chieftain Rambabu Gadaria's sister Ramshri Baghel is in the poll arena as the Rashtriya Samanta Dal nominee for tomorrow's byelection where 23 other candidates are in the fray.

Nominees and their supporters went from door to door today for drumming up support.

Though the Gadaria gang has almost dwindled into insignificance, its previous reign of terror still haunts villages. The parliamentary constituency comprises eight assembly constituencies of which this district's Gird and Dabra and Shivpuri district's Karaira were the gang's areas of activity.

As many as 148 of Karaira's 214 polling centres have been declared sensitive while corresponding figures are Gird 79/170 and Dabra 56/174. The total sensitive centres are 483/1,470.

''Besides the district police, 12 companies of paramilitary forces are deployed,'' said District Returning Officer Rakesh Shrivastav. Polling begins at 0730 hrs and will conclude at 1630 hrs.

UNI