Overview
- Ramlal, a tusker known to locals, approached the voter line at Jitushol Primary School in Jhargram on Thursday as Phase 1 polling was starting, causing brief alarm but no injuries.
- Forest personnel from the Lodhashuli range reached the booth within minutes and guided the elephant away to a safe distance, allowing voting to resume soon after.
- Officials had flagged the booth as vulnerable to elephant movement and stationed a team that included trackers, a 15‑member unit with an Airavat vehicle, and Hula Party responders.
- A video of the encounter circulated widely on social media through PTI and drew curious crowds near the site before order was restored.
- Phase 1 covered 152 constituencies under heavy security, and forest teams remain on watch in Jhargram’s elephant belt as the second phase approaches on April 29.