Maoists, rogue elephants, band-baaja…what it takes to make India vote

Some called it “Mission Impossible”. Treacherous terrain in Maoist strongholds, steep Himalayan slopes, and the Chinese frontier; bedbugs, sex workers and a slum; rain, mudslides, and jungles infested with mozzies and leeches; personal grief and health challenges. But election personnel — school teachers, administrative staff, and other govt employees — demonstrated remarkable commitment and courage in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to ensure nearly 970 million voters, over 10% of the world's population, could exercise their franchise. These compelling tales from the frontlines evoke the essence of a modern-day “Rediscovery of India”, embodying the spirit of Bharat Ek Khoj and the nation’s democracy.When hills beckon twiceIn the rugged landscape of Uttarakhand, polling parties undertook strenuous treks to remote villages twice — once for elderly voters above 85 years old and again on the main polling day. For instance, a polling party of six, including a policeman, navigated a four-hour trek to Kalgot village in Chamoli district on April 8, which falls under Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat, to ensure elderly women could vote, then returned for the rest of the village’s 350 voters. medium110626996Sector magistrate Surya Prakash Maithani, who led the team, said: “Although govt officials are accustomed to election duty, undertaking such a challenging journey twice within two weeks was a task that could have been avoided in remote areas with no road connectivity.”In Pithoragarh district, another team faced an 80km bus journey and 16km trek, only to find a voter boycott over the lack of road connectivity. Only eight people — four villagers and as many polling officials — cast votes out of 587 registered voters.Bedbugs, itchy weltsRukmini Patnaik, a PWD engineer, served as a presiding officer at a polling booth in Bhubaneswar’s Kharvela Nagar. The booth, located near a slum with many sex workers and ragpickers, was a “pink booth” staffed entirely by women. Patnaik and her team were provided rudimentary accommodations in a primary school, where they had to sleep on insect-infested floors, making rest nearly impossible. The incessant biting of the bedbugs left her with itchy welts. Sanitation was poor, with one unclean toilet shared by over 30 people, forcing Patnaik to avoid using it for two days.“I can never forget the two nights of poll duty,” Patnaik said. “We could hear the conversations between sex workers and their clients in the nearby slum until 3am. A lactating woman police officer couldn’t feed her child for two days, leading to intense physical pain and mental trauma. Despite all the challenges, the only satisfaction we have is that we were able to fulfil our duty.”Band, baaja, ballotPrimary school assistant teacher Anil Kumar Goswami had conducted many elections, but the experience of 2024 stands out vividly. He was part of a group of about 15 people, including his four-member team of election officials, along with police and forest personnel, and a lekhpal, entrusted with the task of conducting polling at Bharthapur village — a remote settlement near the Nepal border in UP’s Bahraich parliamentary constituency. medium110627105Their departure itself was a scene reminiscent of a grand adventure. A musical band played as they began their 160km journey. Bahraich district magistrate Monika Rani said: “We made them wear pagdis and gave them a festive send-off with dhols, balloons, flowers, and the tricolour adorning their bus and boat to motivate them.”The team travelled by bus, then 60km in an SUV through the dense, mysterious forest of Katarniya, and boarded a boat adorned with marigolds to cross the confluence of Girwa and Kauriala rivers. medium110627015“The river, teeming with crocodiles, can be quite disconcerting. I saw crocodiles and even rhinos during my previous visit to Bharthapur,” Rani said. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) troopers escorted the team from the riverbank to the booth.The voter turnout was modest. Out of 802 registered voters, only 313 cast their ballots on May 13. Yet, Anil’s sense of fulfilment was undiminished. “It was worth contributing to the world’s largest democratic process,” said the presiding officer whose team included Neelesh Gaur, Arthika Verma, and Ram Naresh.IEDs, snakes, mosquitoes…In Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, polling personnel faced life-threatening situations as helicopters dropped them into Maoist territory. Located in the dense Dandakaranya forests, these polling stations straddled 100km of the Red Corridor along the Chhattisgarh border. medium110627038Govt school teachers, escorted by commandos, trekked through booby-trapped, dangerous terrain and spent a night in the open — sleeping on a tarpaulin sheet in the rain-soaked jungle, avoiding detection by not lighting a torch or setting up a fire. “Lurking cobras and mosquitoes in the blinding darkness of the jungles were as lethal as IEDs,” said one teacher. Their efforts enabled villagers of Arewada, who had rarely voted due to Maoist threats and the risks of trekking long distances, participate in the democratic process for the first time in 77 years.Maoist territory trekSurendra Yadav, an employee of Tandwa high school in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, was assigned election duties for Chatra Lok Sabha constituency, which voted on May 20. His assignment took him to Pathel village in the Maoist-dominated Kanhachatti block. Yadav, along with four other polling officials, reached the booth after a 12km journey on foot through hilly terrain. Despite fears, the local warmth saw 670 of 1,072 electors vote. “We were apprehensive…but the locals were welcoming. The area was lush green and surrounded by hills, offering a scenic view,” Yadav recounted.Defying physical limitationsJitendra Kumar Sahi, a Jharkhand govt employee, has been conducting elections since 1998. Despite having only one kidney since 2007 due to an ailment, Sahi’s physical limitations have not deterred him from his duty.For 2024, he was deputed as a polling official at the govt primary school in Fasia, under Gumla assembly segment of Lohardaga (ST) Lok Sabha constituency, which voted on May 13. “I have had a single kidney since 2007. Even then, I have been involved in conducting elections as a polling official,” Sahi said.Dedication amid griefVadodara DC and deputy district election officer Vivek Tank lost his wife, Pragya Balasara, to cancer on April 27. However, Vivek returned to his election duties on April 30 after her cremation in Gondal. He cast his vote via postal ballot and prepared for the May 7 polls. medium110627069Vivek, who married Pragya in 2018 after meeting during their GPSC exam preparations, chose not to pass on his responsibilities, stating that doing so would be like “leaving a battle midway”.Amidst rogue elephantsHigh school English teacher Sandeep Kumar Mondal’s election duty in Bengal’s elephant-threatened Salboni area of West Midnapore was fraught with anxiety. The route passed through Bhadutala jungle, where elephant attacks were common. Mondal took a bus most of the way and walked the last 600m.“I was nervous. And we’re scared too because the toilets were outside the school premises. I kept asking the man who came to give us food and water about elephant attacks in the area. I was told that a domesticated elephant in a nearby village chases rouge elephants,” he said. Mondal and his team swiftly returned after voting was over.Last voter, 100% votingHill hikes, a sleepless night when the jungle comes alive, no electricity or mobile network — four election officials, and the smallest polling booth in the heart of India. Located 90km from the district headquarters, Sonewani in Maoist-affected Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh has 10 homes and 42 voters.Starting a day early for the April 19 polls, the team arrived using jungle shortcuts. They relied on the villagers’ hospitality for food and light. They faced fears of wild animals and a storm that night, with a tree crashing outside their booth. Their perseverance included locating the last voter by climbing onto the school roof for a weak mobile signal. “Booth-level officer Chaturbhuj Rana learnt that he was once his student. The voter could not refuse his teacher’s request and made it by 4pm, and we ensured 100% voting,” said presiding officer Mamraj Singh Markam.Down south, uphill taskElection staff deployed to Bodhaimalai in Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu thought it was just another remote polling booth until they reached the foothills on April 18. They realised the challenge ahead — an 8km uphill trek. Two polling stations, one at Keelur with 845 voters and Kedamali with 297 voters, awaited them atop Bodhaimalai. medium110627076“The journey began around 9am and took seven long hours of trekking in sweltering summer heat,” said a polling officer. Local porters carried EVMs, VVPATs, and stationery. The return journey, starting late in the evening, was equally arduous. In pitch dark, the team navigated back down, reaching their destination around 1am on April 20, using torchlights. Some suffered cuts and bruises.Instant noodles near ChinaA polling team’s three-day, 150km journey to Arunachal Pradesh’s Gate village involved navigating precarious slopes and heavy rain along the Chinese border. They started on April 16, travelling by vehicle, then continuing on foot from Malo, the last motorable village. 110627164"We reached Gate on April 18, welcomed by villagers with food,” said presiding officer Toni Dupak, a PWD junior engineer. “The journey was perilous…Leeches were a constant nuisance. We carried instant noodles, light foods, and chocolates,” Dupak recounted.Sleep in rain, shield EVMHerky-jerky rain and mudslides slowed down election teams deployed to Jinam Valley in Dima Hasao district on the Assam-Manipur border for polling on April 26. The personnel spent the night in the rain, protecting EVMs, while their luggage got soaked.The next day, they walked more than three hours to reach the booths. Despite the hardships, including more than 24 hours without a proper meal, the polling was completed. medium110627082“It was a thrilling experience, made successful by voter turnout,” said DSP Diganta Baruah, who was part of the team.Lone voter, 15 officialsBanej, a secluded village in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district, set up a polling booth for its sole voter, a temple priest. A team of 15, including security personnel, was deployed. medium110627091“There is no electricity or mobile network. We were totally cut off,” said presiding officer Sursinh Padhiyar. The team stayed at the forest department’s field office and was provided meals by the priest. Banej maintains a 100% voting record.Boat ride, high tideShiyal Bet, an island surrounded by the Arabian Sea, is part of Amreli parliamentary constituency. The island, with a population of 10,000 and 5,100 registered voters, primarily sees women voters due to men being away for fishing. A team of 60, including security and health officials, conducted the election across five booths. medium110627097“We had to consider tide timings and brought medicines and medical practitioners,” said polling official Ramesh Maru. The team travelled by boat and carried food packets and dry snacks, with villagers also providing meals.(Inputs from Partha Maitra & Soumitra Bose in Gadchiroli, Riyan Ramanath & Minati Singha in Bhubaneswar, Pankul Sharma in Dehradun, Arvind Chauhan in Bahraich, Vishvendu Jaipuriar in Chatra, KA Gupta in Gumla, Nimesh Khakhariya in Rajkot, Prashant Rupera in Vadodara, Senthil Kumaran in Chennai, Kangkan Kalita & Mukut Das in Guwahati, Sujoy Khanra in Midnapore)