Phulbani/Patnagarh, April 19 -- In a bid to protect the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT machines, a polling party walked for 15 kilometres in a dense forest to reach Balandapada Police outpost in Naxal-infested Kandhamal district today.
Their journey began from Barala, where Maoists had gunned down polling official Sanjukta Digal day before yesterday. As trees had fallen and obstructed the road near Barala, the polling party was unable to return in their vehicle after the voting for the second phase polls concluded yesterday. With the help of 23 security personnel, 11 members of the polling party and the vehicle driver reached the outpost today.
In another incident, polling officials engaged at booth no-137 and 138 in Sirla pa...