The Maoist ambush of the convoy of Congressmen in Chhattisgarh on May 25 is being described as a wakeup call in view of the forthcoming elections, with the term of the present state government coming to an end in January 2014. The logic portrayed is that the Maoists are re-asserting themselves because of their dwindling numbers. There are some calls to also bring them onto to the discussion table. There is a furore because this time it is the politicians who have been targeted instead of the usual security forces who, ironically, had many more killed in individual encounters without similar commotion, one example being the Dantewada massacre of April 2010 in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed. Those in the game of drawing political mileage at any opportunity are calling for imposition of President’s rule, as if that is the panacea for dealing with the Maoists insurgency.