In Chhattisgarh, nearly 100 polling parties from Maoist affected Bijapur district in Bastar Lok Sabha constituency are yet to return to their bases even two days after polling. About 1800 polling parties were deployed to conduct polling in Bastar constituency on April 10.

Poll parties from Bijapur area are still returning to head quarters under tight security. At many places, they were being asked to stay back in safer villages during night. State’s chief electoral officer Sunil Kujur said poll teams from all other parts of Bastar constituency, except from Bijapur, have already returned.

Polling parties have to walk many kilometers to return to their headquarters. After today’s attack on a polling party in Bijapur, security reinforcements have been tightened to ensure safety of polling parties returning to their bases.

Meanwhile, election authorities have shifted Gariaband district collector and returning officer Hemant Pahare following a complaint from BJP that the returning officer was biased towards former chief minister Ajit Jogi who is congress candidate from mahasamund lok sabha constituency. Similarly, superintendent of police of Balodabazar A M Juri has also been shifted on the directions of election commission.