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Updated: Apr 26, 2019 14:21 IST

Suspected Maoists triggered a blast damaging the BJP’s election office and torched machines and huts at a bridge construction site in Hariharganj of Jharkhand’s Palamu district late on Thursday, ahead of Monday’s Lok Sabha election in the state.

The twin strikes precede the first round of Lok Sabha election in Jharkhand. The Palamu Lok Sabha seat is among the three parliamentary constituencies that will vote on April 29.

The area where the members of the CPI(Maoists) struck is very close to the Jharkhand-Bihar border and officials said six rebels on two motorcycles entered into Aurangabad region of Bihar after committing the crime in Jharkhand.

“The CPI (Maoists) are involved in these acts of desperation. Only six Maoists were involved and contrary to their known modus operandi, they came on two bikes. They wanted to make their presence felt,” Palamu’s superintendent of police Indrajit Mahatha said.

“A few pockets on Bihar-Jharkhand borders still harbour Maoists conduits. We have already identified and initiated preventive action against them. The adequate forces are deployed in the area to ensure free and fair poll,” Mahatha pointed out.

According to reports, the Maoists arrived at the BJP election office near Hariharganj bus stand on National Highway 98, woke up care-taker Laksham Sao and took him captive before planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

When Sao tried to run away, the Maoist fired at him. Sao saved himself by hiding behind a bus. In the explosion triggered by the Maoists, the semi-constructed building was partially damaged.

While escaping towards Aurangabad, they then torched a generator and a few thatched huts at a bridge construction site near Churi on Hariharganj-Pathra route. They also beat up the workers at the site and snatched at least six mobile phones from them before fleeing.

A team from the local police station rushed to the site after following standard operation procedure in such incidents.

The CPI(Maoists) has given a call for boycotting polls in different parts of the state. Earlier, this month suspected Maoists killed a man in Giridih accusing him to be a police informer. A gun battle had also took place between the Maoists and security forces in Giridih, in which three rebels and one CRPF jawan were killed.

Jharkhand with 14 seats will be polling in the fourth, fifth, sixth and the seventh phases of the Lok Sabha election 2019. The votes will be counted on May 23.