India, April 15 -- Over a decade of Left-wing insurgency, pockets of the Tamar assembly constituency in Jharkhand's Ranchi district were virtually inaccessible. In 2008, Maoists killed a former legislator and had a chilling effect on the electoral processes.

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's meeting with Tamar's block-level officers (BLOs) during a three-day visit to Jharkhand to study best electoral practices underlined how the region has come a long way.

"I salute and greet those of you [BLOs] working to take the country forward, and I want this to be conveyed to the nation," said Kumar at a meeting titled "Dialogue with the BLOs of Remote/Inaccessible Areas." He referred to the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s tra...