Budha Pahad (Jharkhand), May 13 (PTI) Thirty-seven-year-old Halkan Kisan on Monday exercised his vote for the first time at his booth at ‘Budha Pahad’—a former Maoist hotbed, which comes under Palamu Lok Sabha constituency.
Located along Jharkhand’s Latehar and Garhwa districts, Budha Pahad was freed recently from the red rebels’ control by security forces after over three decades.
Kisan cast his vote at booth no 420 in the government’s upgraded middle school, Hesatu, along with hundreds of voters from different villages fearlessly.
“I have exercised my vote at my booth for the first time in my life. Earlier, our booth used to be relocated, around 13 km from my village, due to the impact of the Maoists in the locality,” Kisan, a resident of Hesatu village under Bargarh block, told PTI.
“Very few voters used to vote in relocated places. Now, the area has become free from Maoist activity and people are enthusiastically exercising their votes,” Kisan said.
Medininagar sub-divisional officer (SDO) Anurag Tiwary said that the voting at the polling station is being conducted amid the deployment of heavy security.
“The polling officials and security personnel were air-dropped on Sunday at Budha Pahad to conduct the polls,” Tiwary told PTI.
A total of 771 electors are eligible to exercise their votes at the booth. By 5 pm, the booth registered 71.07 per cent polling.
Vikram Yadav, (50), another voter, told PTI, “I have given my vote without any trouble. I came to the booth walking around 5 km from my village Saurat and I found no security issue even on the way as there are deployment of security forces.
“I am happy to cast my vote at our booth here. Earlier, we had to travel around 10 km for the voting exercise. Several facilities were provided at the booth and there was no fear anywhere,” another voter, Pokli Devi (52), said.
Several arrangements have been made for voters such as drinking water, sheds and ambulances. Besides, vehicles have also been arranged for the elderly and physically challenged voters, the block programming officer, Bargarh, Md Hashim Ansari, told PTI.
The polling was conducted at booth no 420 after Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar visited the place on April 20 along with senior police officers.
Kumar had then said that the voters here would exercise their franchise for the first time at their places after many decades. He gave credit to security forces for making this place terror-free.
However, excluding booth no 420, the other three booths in Budha Pahad have been relocated due to security reasons, a senior official said.
Voting is being held in four Lok Sabha constituencies in Jharkhand – Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Khunti and Palamu on Monday.
The exercise to free Budha Pahad from the left-wing extremists was carried out through three special operations that were launched in the beginning of April 2022.
A total of 14 Maoists were killed, while 590 others were either apprehended or surrendered during these operations, the officials said.
Earlier attempts to drive out the red rebels from ‘Budha Pahad’ did not materialise due to its difficult terrain, a police officer said. PTI SAN RG SBN SAN SBN
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