Patna, May 8: With the counting votes for the local bodies poll slated to begin in the next 24 hours, Bihar, probably for the first time, is likely to have the highest number of people’s representatives at the grassroots level coming from the stock of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) — the largest ultra Left outfit in the region.

The rebel outfit, in principle, had given the poll boycott call as usual. But contrary to adopting the violent recourse to vitiate the poll process, the rebels, virtually allowed most part of the 10-phase polls to pass peacefully — the manner being described as “tacit support” to the exercise being carried out by the state’s police and administrative circles.

Police sources revealed that at least 200 supporters, sympathisers and also members of the banned outfit joined the fray for the post of mukhiyas (panchayat chairmen), ward members, block development committee members and councillors for the district boards. That the candidates in the local bodies’ elections have the backing from the Maoists cadres became evident from the fact that three central committee member the CPI (Maoists), V. Subrahmaniyam, Vijay umar Arya and Purnendu Mukherjee were arrested by a special task force (STF) team in the house of Aniruddha Ravidas, a contender of Mukhiya’s post for Karanpur panchayat in Katihar district.

The three top Maoist leaders were arrested from Ravidas’s Sitagaon-based house under Barsoi police station last week. Sources revealed that most of the Maoist-supported candidates are contesting from Gaya, Aurangbad, Kaimur, Rohtas, Sheohar, itamarhi, Jamui and Darbhanga districts where the rebels have strong presence.

In fact, the government too is believed to have encouraged the ultra Left cadres to join the democratic exercise at the grassroots level as part of its efforts to “bring the Maoists into the mainstream of society”. Director-general of police, Neel Mani at the beginning of the polls had stated, “It is a good sign for the democracy that the ultras are keen to join the local bodies’ elections.”

Sources revealed that the Nitish government’s decision to stay away from using force against the rebels unlike in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and its “conciliatory approach” have paid dividends with the state remaining relatively free from the Maoist-sponsored violence in the last five years.

A survey conducted by the Institute of Social Science, New Delhi, in collaboration with the Bihar government’s Panchayati Raj department too has revealed that 33 per cent of the contestants in the rebel-dominated regions were either family members, relatives, supporters or sympathisers of the Naxalites. There are 8,463 posts of mukhiya in the state. The survey, which was conducted on the basis of the language spoken by the people of the area — like Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magahi — revealed that for the first time such a large number of contestants were in the fray with the backing of the Naxalites.