Chormara village in Bihar's Jamui district, once a stronghold of Maoist activity, witnessed voting for the first time in over three decades on Tuesday. The village holds historical significance as the venue for the CPI (Maoist) 9th Congress in January-February 2007, the party's first major gathering after the 2004 merger of the Maoist Communist Centre and the People's War Group. Now designated a "model booth", Chormara is among 768 polling stations in Gaya, Jamui, and Rohtas districts where Maoists were once active but no longer require relocation to safer areas. The three districts recorded high voter turnout as of 5 pm, with Gaya at 67.5%, Jamui at 67.81%, and Rohtas at 60.69%. A total of 1,011 SC/ST voters exercised their franchise at their original location, marking a significant milestone in the region's democratic participation.
First-Time Voters and Improved Security Conditions
Residents including Babulal Koda (75), Bhatan Koda (55), Chhatiya Devi (50), and Parvati Devi (62) voted for the first time. Babulal, a daily wager, explained that polling stations had previously been located four kilometres away, discouraging participation since 1990. "Most of us would not vote. Nor would any candidate come to campaign," he said. Chhatiya Devi noted they received training on using EVMs and felt no fear this time. Bihar additional director general of police Kundan Krishnan confirmed that ending Left Wing Extremism allowed the booth's conversion. The security situation stabilised since 2022 when several Maoist commanders surrendered, enabling safer elections in formerly affected areas.
Source: Link