Adilabad/Karimnagar: The Election Commission has in its notification allowed campaigning by candidates and polling only from 7 am to 4 pm in 13 Maoist-affected Assembly constituencies in the old Adilabad and Karimnagar districts.
These directions were contained in the Election Commission's notification for the Telangana state elections that was released on November 12. The timing for the campaign and polling in other areas is from 7 am to 5 pm.
An Asifabad police official said they had identified 66 polling booths as Maoist-affected in the Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district and submitted the names to the EC. Lack of road connectivity to some villages located in the interior areas along the state’s borders had resulted in imposing restrictions on timings of the campaign and polling.
Sirpur (T), Asifabad, Chennur, Bellampalli, Mancherial constituencies in old Adilabad district and Manthani in Old Karimnagar district share borders with the states of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh respectively.
The EC imposed restrictions on polling and election campaigning timings in Bhoopalapalli and Mulugu in old Warangal district and Pinapaka, Yellandu, Kothagudem and Ashwaraopet and Bhadrachalam in old Khammam district.
Maoists posters had surfaced in Bellampalli and in Parpelli in Kotapalli mandal in Mancherial district in the recent past.
Police is not leaving any stone unturned in taking security measures to prevent untoward incidents in the Naxal-affected areas located on the state borders. A special police party intensified combing in the forest along the rivers Pranahitha and Godavari following the exchange of fire between Maoists and the Police in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh a few days ago.
Police is also taking the reported change of the top leadership Muppala Laxman alias Ganapati handed over charge as general secretary to Nambala Kesav Rao as far as Maoists attacks and violence are concerned.
