Maoist shadow on 3rd phase poll

NUAPADA: The Maoists on Tuesday felled trees at Cherechuan, leading to the Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary, to reportedly obstruct movement of polling officials ahead of the third phase poll on Wednesday. Polling would be held in 18 booths inside the sanctuary. As per reports, polling officials had left the district headquarters on Tuesday for the booths located inside the sanctuary. However, they could not proceed ahead with the ultras felling trees and some plainclothes persons warning them against proceeding ahead. Following this, the officials have taken shelter in Barkot village under Michapali gram panchayat of Komna block in the district. Sources said there are 23 booths inside the Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary under Nuapada zone I of the Zilla Parishad (ZP). Although two polling parties left for the booths via Nuapada, three other parties went through Cherechuan.  Komna BDO Subhas Singh said the State Election Commission has been apprised of the incident and steps will be taken accordingly. SDPO Prafulla Patra said seven persons had visited Cherechuan and dropped posters at the spot. He said they spoke in Odia and the posters were issued by Manipur division of the CPI (Maoists).KALAHANDI: Maoists posters were found in villages of Kolbahali, Trilochanpur, Khemdipadar and Satantara under Trilochanpur gram panchayat, about 17 km from Lanjigarh on Monday morning.    The posters called upon people to boycott panchayat poll.