All booths in Bastar declared sensitive

Jagdalpur (Bastar), Nov 6 (UNI) Facing naxalite challenge for over two decades, the administration has declared all 1100 polling booths spread over five Assembly segments in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh as sensitive, election office said today.

Besides earmarking the polling centres as sensitive and hyper sensitive, many booths have been declared sensitive due to political and naxalite factors, official sources said.

The Election Commission has identified 439 booths as hyper sensitive, 444 as naxalite-affected and 217 booths as politically sensitive, Deputy District Returning Officer Phool Singh Netam said.

For the first time, Jagdalpur has been declared a general seat, while Keshkal, Bastar, Chitrakote and Kondagaon remain reserved for tribals.

In Keshkal constituency having a total of 154271 electorate, 122 of the total 247 booths are hyper sensitive, while in Kondagaon 83 of the total 200 were declared hyper sensitive, 98 naxalite sensitive and 19 politically sensitive. The segment has 120428 voters.

122 booths, which formed a part of Bastar district earlier, had been included in the newly formed Narayanpur district. Of them, 58 had been identifed as hyper sensitive, 45 naxalite sensitive and 19 politically sensitive.

In Bastar constituency which came into existence as a result of delimitation, 72 of the total 191 booths are hyper sensitive, 56 naxalite sensitive and 63 poltically sensitive. This segment has 105405 voters.

In Jagdalpur general constituency, out of 222 polling booths 55 were marked hyper sensitive, 69 naxalite sensitive and 98 politically sensitive. The segment has 151266 voters.

Chitrkote Assembly segment has 215 polling booths.Of them, 129 were identified as hyper sensitive, 60 naxalite sensitive and nine politically sensitive. The segment has 135298 voters.

UNI XC BDG SP PD KN1455