M A I N   N E W S

Shoot orders in Bihar
First-phase polling today

NEW DELHI, Feb 11 (PTI) — Shoot-at-sight orders have been issued in Bihar and the army and the paramilitary forces deployed in strength in Manipur to conduct the first phase of polling tomorrow for 108 assembly constituencies, mostly in the extremist-dominated south Bihar and 27 seats in insurgency-hit Manipur.

Shoot-at-sight orders had been issued and all police stations in the Naxalite-affected areas have been put on high alert with patrolling intensified in view of the poll boycott call given by outlawed ultra outfits — the People’s War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre in Bihar, officials said in Patna.

Bihar Director General of Police K. A. Jacob said today that areas bordering Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal had been sealed and strict vigil was being kept on the activities of extremists.

The fate of 1297 candidates, including RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, opposition leader in the Bihar Assembly S.K. Modi, BJP’s state president Nand Kishore Yadav and former BPCC president Sarfaraj Ahmed is to be decided by 2.2 crore voters in the first phase of polling.

Declining to disclose the details of the deployment chart, DGP Jacob said: “We have adequate security personnel in our hands and we can meet any challenges.”

Mr Jacob said apart from stationing of the paramilitary personnel at all sensitive booths in south and central Bihar during polling, combing operations would continue simultaneously to apprehend the extremists and check their activities.

Besides, the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF), sniffer dogs, landmine sweepers and detection squads were being pressed into service to have an effective control over the extremists’ “sinister designs” to disrupt polling and indulge in violence.

More than 19,000 specially trained Bihar Military personnel with mortar firing equipment at their disposal and high-equipped CPMFs had already taken positions in extremist-hit areas, he said.

Around 60,000 district police force personnel and thousands of home guard jawans were also being engaged for ensuring a peaceful poll, Mr Jacob said.

The DGP said under the special drive launched to apprehend the extremists and anti-socials “we have achieved a major success this time.”

A number of persons against whom arrest warrants were pending, had been arrested or surrendered during the pre-poll operations, he said adding thousands of anti-socials had also been taken into custody.

Official sources said the Centre had already rushed more than 450 companies of the CPMF to Bihar.

As many as 80 per cent of the 27,525 polling booths had been declared sensitive where the paramilitary forces would be stationed to ensure peaceful poll.

In the insurgency-hit Manipur, the Army and paramilitary forces had been deployed in Senapati, Ukhrul and Tamenglong districts and parts of Chandel, where the NSCN (I-M) had given a poll boycott call.

Former Chief Minister Rishang Keishing and senior Congress leader Thoudam Devendra Singh are among the prominent contestants for the first phase in which 7.2 lakh voters are scheduled to decide the fate of 199 candidates.

RJD candidate’s vehicle set afire

GIRIDIH, Feb 11 (UNI) — Maoist Communist Centre ultras torched a campaign vehicle of the RJD candidate from the Dumri Assembly segment at Chainpur village under Biniaghat police station limits in the district yesterday.

Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Aggarwal said here today that the RJD candidate, after winding up his campaign, had parked his vehicle when the MCC activists set it afire.

Khagaria: In Khagaria supporters of an Independent candidate went on the rampage attacking a local police station here today.

Police Superintendent Sailesh Kumar Singh said two BJP activists, including party leader Rajiv Mohan Singh, sustained injuries.

Mr Ranbir Yadav, a former MLA and husband of Independent candidate Poonam Devi, was arrested in this connection.

The police had to use lathis to quell the rampaging supporters when they pelted stones at Khagaria police station in protest against the arrest.

Ten policemen received minor injuries in the brickbatting, he said. The vehicles of Ms Poonam Devi were also seized by the police.