Bharat Rakshak

Over 64% of Bastar's 14 lakh electorate defied the Maoist threat and turned up to vote by 5pm in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Friday. This figure is expected to rise.

This is being held in the backdrop of the most aggressive anti-Maoist operations in nearly two decades of insurgency. As many as 62 Maoists have been eliminated since the polling dates were declared on March 12, including 29 in a single encounter in Kanker on Tuesday.

Never before have Maoists been hit so hard ahead of any election.

Over 60,000 security personnel, nearly half of whom were central forces deployed from other states, stood guard as the Maoist-hit region gave a thumbs up to democracy. Barring two incidents in Bijapur - an accidental grenade explosion that killed a CRPF jawan and a Maoist IED blast that injured an officer - polling was conducted peacefully.

Voting started at 7am. It was after 9.30am that polling picked up and by 11am, the turnout touched 29%. Around 2pm, it had shot up to 43%, a polling official told TOI. Polling ended at 3pm in Kondagaon, Dantewada, Bijapur, Konta and Narayanpur segments of Bastar constituency. In Jagdalpur, it went on till 5pm.

Bastar range IG P Sundarraj and divisional commissioner Shyam Dhawade voted at Haathkachora polling booth in Jagdalpur. Congress candidate Kawasi Lakhma and BJP's Mahesh Kashyap cast their votes in Nagaras in Sukma and Kalcha in Bastar.

Elderly people came in wheelchairs and on crutches. Since it's marriage season, several brides and grooms were seen in queue to cast their vote, decked in wedding finery.