Slew of measures to check possible attacks by Maoists

Deployment of counter action teams, stepping up combing operations in Left Wing Extremist affected areas bordering Chattisgarh and Maharashtra are part of measures taken by police to check their possible attacks in the run up to the April 11 Lok Sabha polls in Telangana.

Telangana police had adopted a similar multi-pronged strategy to thwart attacks by CPI (Maoist) cadres ahead of the December 7, 2018 Assembly polls.

"We are making adequate arrangements. We have taken all preventive steps that arerequired for the elections like deposit of weapons, execution of Non Bailable Warrants and setting up of check posts.

Central paramilitary forces have also arrived in the state and have been deployed in all districts and are conducting flag marches," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jitender told PTI.

"We are hopeful that the Parliamentary elections will also be peaceful without any major incident like the Assembly polls held in December 2018)," he said.

Police are working to ensure smooth conduct of the polls, Jitender said, adding that the exercise to identify sensitive and hyper-sensitive constituencies was underway.

Asked about the security arrangements in the CPI (Maoist) affected areas in the state bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, Jitender said all steps have been taken up by strengthening security and intensifying combing operations.

"It is during elections that the ultras resort to giving bandh and boycott calls, but the people reject it", he said.

Four of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies are sensitive due to the LWE threat and hence steps like area domination, intelligence gathering on a regular basis, as done during the Assembly elections was being carried out to ensure peaceful elections, he said.

In addition to over 50,000 Telangana police personnel, Central paramilitary forces have also been deployed and authorities are expecting police personnel from neighbouring states also, he said.