<p>Maoist posters appealing people to boycott the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections surfaced in many areas in and around Baliguda in Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Wednesday.</p>.<p>“People will get real benefits not through votes but through armed struggle. Hence boycott the polls”, posters are written in the Odia language said.</p>.<p>Significantly, these posters appeared the day the backward district witnessed an encounter between the security forces and the Maoists.</p>.<p>A woman Maoist cadre, who is yet to be identified, was killed in the exchange of fire at Tumudibandha early on Wednesday morning.</p>.<p>Maoists appealing citizens through posters and banners to boycott the electoral process is not new during the elections in Odisha.</p>.<p>In fact, observers believe that more such posters and banners are expected to surface in different Maoist-hit districts in the run-up to the multi-phased elections in the state.</p>.<p>Elections will be held in Odisha in four phases beginning April 11. A majority of the Maoist-hit districts will go to polls in the first three phases.</p>.<p>Maoists attempting to disrupt the polling process by forcibly snatching EVM machines in polling booths located in interior pockets is also not new in Odisha.</p>.<p>However, police sources said that adequate measures will be taken to smoothly conduct the polls.</p>.<p>On the day of polling as well as even during campaigns in the Maoist-hit districts, security will be beefed up.</p>.<p>The top brass of the state police would soon convene a meeting of Superintendents of Police (SPs) of all the Maoist-hit districts to discuss the issue.</p>.<p>“Maoist activities have come down considerably in all the districts in the state affected by left-wing extremism. However, we will be taking no chances. Adequate security arrangements will be made for the smooth conduct of the coming polls,” a senior police official said.</p>
<p>Maoist posters appealing people to boycott the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections surfaced in many areas in and around Baliguda in Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Wednesday.</p>.<p>“People will get real benefits not through votes but through armed struggle. Hence boycott the polls”, posters are written in the Odia language said.</p>.<p>Significantly, these posters appeared the day the backward district witnessed an encounter between the security forces and the Maoists.</p>.<p>A woman Maoist cadre, who is yet to be identified, was killed in the exchange of fire at Tumudibandha early on Wednesday morning.</p>.<p>Maoists appealing citizens through posters and banners to boycott the electoral process is not new during the elections in Odisha.</p>.<p>In fact, observers believe that more such posters and banners are expected to surface in different Maoist-hit districts in the run-up to the multi-phased elections in the state.</p>.<p>Elections will be held in Odisha in four phases beginning April 11. A majority of the Maoist-hit districts will go to polls in the first three phases.</p>.<p>Maoists attempting to disrupt the polling process by forcibly snatching EVM machines in polling booths located in interior pockets is also not new in Odisha.</p>.<p>However, police sources said that adequate measures will be taken to smoothly conduct the polls.</p>.<p>On the day of polling as well as even during campaigns in the Maoist-hit districts, security will be beefed up.</p>.<p>The top brass of the state police would soon convene a meeting of Superintendents of Police (SPs) of all the Maoist-hit districts to discuss the issue.</p>.<p>“Maoist activities have come down considerably in all the districts in the state affected by left-wing extremism. However, we will be taking no chances. Adequate security arrangements will be made for the smooth conduct of the coming polls,” a senior police official said.</p>