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Maoists sneak into Bengal to disrupt polls

By IANS,

Bhubaneswar : At least 150 hard core Maoist rebels have sneaked into West Bengal from Orissa to stir up violence and disrupt the state assembly polls, a senior police official said Wednesday.

Many of the rebels who operate in Saranda forest area are believed to have infiltrated in the neighbouring state to foment trouble during the six-phase assembly polls that began Tuesday, the official told IANS.

At least 700 hard core Maoist cadres operate in more then half of state’s 30 districts. The Saranda forest, on the border of Orissa and Jharkhand, is considered their stronghold.

At least 150 are believed to have sneaked into West Bengal, the official said.

“That could be the reason why there has been no Maoist violence reported from this forest area for the past two weeks,” he said.

West Bengal is holding election to the 294-member state assembly April 18-May 10.