Building Security, Command & Control

Helicopters fly in for Indian elections

By Robin Hicks | 9 April 2009

Air Force helicopters will carry out air surveillance ahead of the first phase of polls in six constituencies considered ultra left-wing in Jharkhand, India.

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“We have sought four helicopters and learnt that two have been sanctioned,” Inspector General of Police S N Pradhan told PTI here. “We will start air surveillance before polling,” he added.

Six ‘ultra-left’ outfits – known as Naxals - are active in the six Lok Sabha constituencies of Lohardagga, Palamau, Chatra, Koderma, Hazaribag and Khunti which are going to the polls on April 16.

The helicopters will be used also during the second phase of polling on April 23 in eight other constituencies, which are also considered to be naxal strongholds.

Amid conflicting reports on poll-boycott by some extremist groups, para-military forces and the police have begun area domination by launching raids in the ‘naxal-infested’ areas, the police said.

Naxalites have destroyed with explosives about ten government structures which housed schools, panchayat and community halls in Palamau, Chatra, Latehar and Gumla during the last one week with an aim to prevent the security forces from using them as their shelters during their anti-naxal operations.