Around 130 km from Jagdalpur in the vortex of Naxal-affected, heavily patrolled areas of Sukma district are preparing for the elections. Posters of Raman Singh government asking people to vote for the BJP don the main state bus stand in Sukma.

With a local newspaper reporter in Dornapal, guiding us on a motorcycle, we maneuvered another 36 km of cratered tracks passed off as roads, crossing five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) base camps where every entry and exit is recorded.

Known as the 'Liberated Zone', red banners and posters calling for election boycott claimed Naxals rule the roost in the region.

A little interior was village Mukaram, with no signage or board to introduce it. Mukaram houses nearly 500 families of the Gond tribe and has an estimated voter strength of 1,000. But this village has been a zero voting village for the last two elections.

Kesav, one of the very few literates in the village and who spoke Hindi told us that the primary school which doubled as a polling station was destroyed by Naxals a few years ago.

Pointing to the debris that was still lying Kesav said, "Polling stations were put up in this school earlier, but after it was destroyed by the Naxals, our polling station along with three other villages has been moved to Chintanhar, 5 km away."

Election commission recorded zero voting in Mukaram during 2013 assembly elections and 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Mukaram last voted was in 2008 when only two votes were cast.

"Naxals used to come into our village and say whoever will vote their hands and fingers will be chopped off. You only say how could we go to vote," said a villager in his native language Gondi. Most villagers didn't remember the last time they had voted.

There were varied responses with some saying 1995, some said they last voted in 1998, others in 2003. Many who had turned 30 or even older didn't even have voter identity cards.

However, now there has been some change. It has been three years since naxal extremists visited or threatened villagers in Mukaram. With CRPF camps closing in to the region, villagers said they also feel a little more empowered.

A few days before we visited the village, the local administration had carried out an electioral awareness in Mukaram and neighbouring villages. While still unsure, villagers now are looking at elections positively. Many said they want to vote this time and want government schemes to come to their village.

"We will get electricity soon and want even roads to be constructed," said one villager pointing to the electric poles that have been installed in the village. A woman sitting on the side and listening intently to the conversation said, "If others go to vote even I will go, but I don't know who to vote for."

"No politician comes here, we don't know anyone. Even if we take a risk to cast vote we are clueless," said another. With no roads or electricity and under Naxal influence Mukaram and neighboring villages have been devoid of any sources of information.

No political party or leader has dared to travel this far to campaign for many years. And that is becoming the biggest challenge for Mukaram. While most in Mukaram want to vote and be part of the election machinery but don't know who their leaders are and who they should vote for.

First Published:Nov 6, 2018 10:52 PM IST