Jharkhand

• 15 May 2024

Singhbhum Recorded the Highest Voter Turnout

Why in News?

In the first round of polling in Jharkhand, Singhbhum recorded the highest voter turnout at 63.14%.

Key Points

• Singhbhum was followed by Khunti with 62.82%, Lohardaga with 62.60%, and Palamu with 59.99%.
  • In Rengdahatu, Murmura, Tensara, and Siamba, polling booths were established alongside an intensive anti-Maoist operation and the setup of CRPF camps.
• The effectiveness of anti-Maoists campaigns is evident as numerous villages have local polling booths for the first time in two decades, leading to high voter turnouts.
• Despite improvement in the situation, West Singhbhum remains one of the worst left-wing extremism-affected districts of the country. It had also witnessed 46 Maoist-related incidents resulting in 22 deaths in 2023.
  • Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung. It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic alliances.

Left Wing Extremism (LWE)

• Also known as left-wing extremism or radical left-wing movements, refers to political ideologies and groups that advocate for significant societal and political change through revolutionary means.
• LWE groups may target government institutions, law enforcement agencies, or private property to further their agenda.
• The LWE movement in India originated in a 1967 uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal.