This Article is From Apr 15, 2009

Naxal attacks in Bihar, Jharkhand ahead of polls

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Patna:

Nearly 100 Naxals attacked the BSF camp in Sasaram district of Bihar on Wednesday. The company was posted in Dhansa forest area for polling day on Thursday. Sasaram falls in the Naxal dominated area of Bihar.

There was a gun battle between Naxals and BSF personnel. According to the BSF DIG, only one jawan has been injured.

"The Naxal problem is not limited to just Bihar, there have several such incidents in Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh as well. The police was alert but the Centre has not provided us enough forces to tackle the Naxals," said Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar

"The Naxal problem has increased during Nitish Kumar's term as Chief Minister. This government does not know how to handle law and order problems. These attacks are wrong, there should be free and fair elections. This government is a failure," said Lalu Prasad Yadav, President, RJD

Naxals are said to have attacked the BSF company of about 100 jawans with rocket launchers and other ammunition.

As Sasaram goes to polls on Thursday, it's a straight fight between the BJP and the Congress.
 
The Congress candidate contesting from Sasaram is sitting MP and Social Justice MinisterMeira Kumar. And Munni Lal of the BJP, who is a three-time MP from Sasaram, was the Labour and Employment Minister in the Vajpayee government in 2000.

In another Naxal attack in the neighbouring state of Jharkhand, Maoists blew up a bus carrying CRPF personnel at Latehar, which also goes to the polls on Thursday. At least five Naxalites and two CRPF personnel have been killed in the attack. The bus driver and the conductor have also been killed.

On Sunday night, the Maoists attacked Asia's largest bauxite mine in Orissa's Koraput district.

At least 11 CISF jawans and 4 Maoists were killed in the encounter between the two sides.

The attackers had escaped with a huge amount of explosives that were kept in the armoury there.

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