Ex-Maoists join 'cast your vote' campaign in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam: A few surrendered Maoists in parts of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district are urging residents of their villages to exercise their franchise on May 13. However, the CPI (Maoist) has given a call to boycott the elections claiming that the condition of the tribal people remains the same despite several elections.

Parts of ASR district, and Andhra-Odisha-Border (AOB) were once known as Maoist hotbed after Chhattisgarh. Though violence and the movement of the banned outfit have decreased in AOB region, the voter turnout in Maoist-hit areas is below 60 per cent.

The Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-related activities in the state have been confined to ASR district, and Rampachodavaram division of East Godavari district with the Maoist cadre operating in the belt.

Speaking to TOI, ASR district superintendent of police, Tuhin Sinha, said some surrendered Maoists are appealing to the people to go and vote. However, we will not disclose the identity of the surrendered rebels who joined the campaign due to security reasons, he added.

ASR district has 248 polling stations in LWE locations. Out of the 248 polling stations, 50 polling stations are in Munchigiputtu mandal. The district administration has sought one chopper to ferry election staff and security forces to some polling stations in Y Ramavaram mandal in the district.

“While working for the party, the Maoists told the villagers not to vote because the government will not give anything, Now, a few of those Maoists (who surrendered before police a few years ago) are telling people to go and vote” said a sub-inspector of police in ASR district. Vexed with the harassment and attracted by the various development activities in parts of AOB, many Maoists had surrendered before the police in the past few years. We are expecting the voter turnout to be more in the LWE-hit areas as the surrendered cadres have joined the ‘cast your vote’ campaign, he added.

After a gap of two decades, the movement of the banned outfit is low in the AOB region. Maoist recruitment has declined, and the rebels are facing shortage of ammunition and weapons in the AOB region. The surrender and rehabilitation initiative of the AP government played a major role in drawing away recruits from the outfit, police added.

Visakhapatnam: A few surrendered Maoists in parts of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district are urging residents of their villages to exercise their franchise on May 13. However, the CPI (Maoist) has given a call to boycott the elections claiming that the condition of the tribal people remains the same despite several elections. Parts of ASR district, and Andhra-Odisha-Border (AOB) were once known as Maoist hotbed after Chhattisgarh. Though violence and the movement of the banned outfit have decreased in AOB region, the voter turnout in Maoist-hit areas is below 60 per cent.

The Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-related activities in the state have been confined to ASR district, and Rampachodavaram division of East Godavari district with the Maoist cadre operating in the belt.

Speaking to TOI, ASR district superintendent of police, Tuhin Sinha, said some surrendered Maoists are appealing to the people to go and vote. However, we will not disclose the identity of the surrendered rebels who joined the campaign due to security reasons, he added.

ASR district has 248 polling stations in LWE locations. Out of the 248 polling stations, 50 polling stations are in Munchigiputtu mandal. The district administration has sought one chopper to ferry election staff and security forces to some polling stations in Y Ramavaram mandal in the district.

“While working for the party, the Maoists told the villagers not to vote because the government will not give anything, Now, a few of those Maoists (who surrendered before police a few years ago) are telling people to go and vote” said a sub-inspector of police in ASR district. Vexed with the harassment and attracted by the various development activities in parts of AOB, many Maoists had surrendered before the police in the past few years. We are expecting the voter turnout to be more in the LWE-hit areas as the surrendered cadres have joined the ‘cast your vote’ campaign, he added.

After a gap of two decades, the movement of the banned outfit is low in the AOB region. Maoist recruitment has declined, and the rebels are facing shortage of ammunition and weapons in the AOB region. The surrender and rehabilitation initiative of the AP government played a major role in drawing away recruits from the outfit, police added.