I reached Gadiras late afternoon on November 6—a day before the first phase of the elections—cutting through the once-forbidden picturesque Katekalyan road from Tirathgarh. Beyond Katekalyan, the 60-km long-winding forest road gave way to a narrow forest path. Old roads dug up by Naxalites, as remarked by a passerby, were visible, marking their erstwhile presence in the region. The two-foot wide ditches were partially levelled with bamboo for two-wheelers to pass; in some places, parts of the road were padded with stones and mud, all of which still made a telling signal of a “no-go” passage for larger four-wheel vehicles.