LAMKA, May 31: Just one day ahead of the Autonomous District Council election, the preparation for the election was seriously affected when cadres of a UG group allegedly tried to capture ballot boxes and kidnapped polling officials at 4-Chongkhojou ADC constituency of Churachandpur today.
The attempt was however thwarted by the swift action of a joint security team of Churachandpur police and Assam Rifles led by SP Churachanpur.
The polling officials and the ballot boxes were rescued near Chiangpi Village under Henglep sub-division and brought back to CCpur town by a reinforced police team led by addl SP Balram Singh.
The rescued team reached the Churachandpur DC office around 4:30pm.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that in another incident happening yesterday, another election duty bound team heading for their designated booth in Chote Munpi ADC constituency was also waylaid by a UG group at Kholmun Village, who snatched ballot boxes.
However, pressure from the security forces resulted in the UG cadres returning the ballot boxes, according to sources.
It is also learnt that the concerned officials had not reported the incident, however, after the police and the Assam Rifles received information of the incident, they pressurized the concern outfit to return the ballot boxes which reached the DC office around 3pm today.
Meanwhile, a visibly shaken poll official talking to IFP, on condition of anonymity, said that their team is guarded by a 303 rifle welding VDF personeel which is not enough to safeguard them when there is so much violence.