Maoists boycott Bihar polls, call it ‘mockery of democracy’

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has given a call for the boycott of polls in Bihar, espousing an armed agrarian movement across the state to establish “real people’s rule”.

It has also threatened voters with serious consequences if they take part in a “mockery of democracy where the parties indulge in selling election symbols to contestants”.

The call is in line with the banned outfit’s aversion to parliamentary politics.

In a four-page note issued by its Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee on Wednesday, the Maoist group did not spare the Left parties too. It called them “power-hungry organisations”.

The Maoists said all political parties including BJP, JD-U, RJD, Congress and CPI have the common goal of looting the nation’s wealth. “Take up arms to establish your authority over jungle, jal (water) and zamin (land) and be a part of the armed class struggle to defeat these feudal and imperial forces robbing the country for centuries.”

The boycott call is seen as a desperate act of the outfit that has literally been pushed to the wall following a ‘flush out’ operation by central forces under the leadership of Gaya senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj. Several Maoist commanders have been put behind the bars in the past 30-35 days while others have gone into hiding.

In a bid to ensure maximum polling, the Gaya district administration has organised a series of socio-cultural programmes such as ‘Run for vote’. Maharaj and district magistrate Sanjay Agrawal have also held election meetins to instil a sense of security among the voters.

Officials said removal of landmines planted in rural roads and recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition has poured cold water on the Maoist plans.

“Our forces are keeping close vigil on every activity of the Maoists who seem to be fighting on paper these days,” a Central Reserve Police Force officer said, requesting anonymity.