: As the D-day draws closer, the State police have stepped up security in the wake of threats from the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist) to disrupt the Assembly polls.
Intelligence sources told The Hindu here on Friday that about 150-odd polling stations spread across Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Palakkad districts had been categorised “Maoist sensitive” on account of some frontal organisations, such as Porattam, asking the tribal population to boycott the May 16 polls.
Unlike some other threats, often backed by physical attacks witnessed in some of the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected States, Kerala does not have to worry because the CPI (Maoist) has not been able to get a foothold in any part of the State. Most of the threats related to the pro-LWE groups are anti-election campaigns.
Additional Director of Police (North Kerala) Nitin Agrawal said the police would ensure that the tribal voters exercised their franchise without any fear.
Special package
“All efforts have been made to provide protection in their hamlets and regions bordering the forests. A special package, including deployment of armed security personnel at the booths, is being implemented,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police have also started a counter strategy by putting up anti-Maoist posters in tribal colonies suspected to be frequented by the sympathisers of the left wing extremists.
Officials and social workers have been assigned to visit their houses to defuse the Maoist’s campaign to boycott the polls.
