Above 50 PC polling booths of Bastar are sensitive: EC

     Jagdalpur, April 29, 2011: The Election Commission has identified more than half of the polling booths for Bastar Lok Sabha bye-poll as sensitive, officials said today.

     Voting will be held on May 8 to decide the successor of the BJP MP Baliram Kashyap, who died on March 10, last.

     The Election officials today revealed that out of 1718 polling booths 1034 are identified as sensitive or hyper sensitive due to Maoists presence or for apprehension of political violence.

     Of 1,718 polling booths, 333 booths are identified as Maoists affected, 514 hyper sensitive, 187 as politically sensitive booths and only 684 are normal in nature, poll officials said.

     A total of eight candidates are trying their luck for the Bastar reserved Lok Sabha seat, with three from recognised national parties and five from either unrecognised or independent candidates, the sources said.

     Dinesh Kashyap of BJP, MLA Kawashi Lakhma of Congress and Rama Sodhi of Communist Party of India are in the fray.

     Similarly from unrecognised party Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch candidate Subhash Chandra Mourya, Independents Dinesh Kashyap, Dinesh Nag, Dinesh Markam and Lakhma are also seeking mandate.

     Polling would takes place on May 8 and counting on May 13 for the Tribal seat.