In the first phase of polling in Jharkhand on Monday, CPI Maoist rebels tried to stop voters from remote villages of Saranda forest in Singhbhum from going to booths.
In the early morning of May 13, Maoists cut down trees at two places on the main rural road between Chhotanagra police station of Saranda forest and Hatnaburu-Marangponga under Digha Panchayat.
They also put up a banner for the election boycott.
Traffic on the said route came to a standstill due to the felling of trees. At the place where the Naxalites cut the trees, there is a high hill on one side of the road.
On the other side, there is a deep ditch and river.
No one could pass through the road even by a motorcycle.
The road is said to be the only road to reach many villages of Saranda.
Villagers of many villages of Saranda including Marangponga, Dikuponga, Usruiya, Holongauli, Baliba, Kumdih, Kudliabad, Kolayburu go through this route to vote at the polling station in Sonapi.
The distance of the villages from Sonapi polling station is 10 to 25 kilometers.
Taking swift action, the administration has now removed the trees and enabled the voters to reach polling booths.
Officials said that security forces are alert to thwart such plans of Maoists and will support every voter to cast his/her vote.
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