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Maoists kill BJP MLA, 4 others in Dantewada

Bhima Mandavi's convoy ambushed in Dantewada two days before polls

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Wreckage of legislator Bhima Mandavi’s convoy
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BJP legislator Bhima Mandavi and four others, including three police personnel, were killed instantly after Maoists ambushed his convoy in Dantewada region of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

Mandavi was on the road while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections which begin on Thursday. The attack on Mandavi took place just two days before the Maoist-infested Bastar area votes in the first phase of the polls.

A Central Reserve Police Force team was dispatched to the area, as the state's Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel called for a high-level meeting.

The other four killed are Head Constables Chagan Kuldeep and Ramlal Oyemi, Constable Somdu Kawasi and the driver of the vehicle Danteshwar Maurya.

The Maoists had set off a blast through an improvised explosive device buried in the road. "The blast ripped apart the lawmaker's bullet-proof vehicle. The mangled remains can be seen lying some distance from a crater in the road," said a senior IPS officer.

The five people died instantly. Sources said when people tried to come out of other vehicles in the convoy, the Maoists, who were hiding nearby, opened fire, after which a gunfight followed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi "strongly" condemned the attack and added: "The sacrifices of these martyrs will not go in vain." Lauding Bhima Mandavi, he said: "Courageous, he assiduously served the people... His demise is deeply anguishing."

Mandavi had won from Dantewada after defeating Congress's Devti Karma in last year's assembly polls. He had been asked not to campaign in the violence-prone region, but he wanted to address the people.

The Maoists, known to escalate violence before elections, have warned the locals not to cast their votes: posters with the message dot the area.

Chhattisgarh's chief electoral officer held a video conference with collectors and SPs of districts slated to go to polls in phases 1 and 2 and instructed them to take utmost precautions. The polls will be held as per schedule.

Trail Of Violence

Chhattisgarh frequently hit by deadly naxal attacks

  • April 4: Four BSF jawans killed, 2 hurt after Naxals struck them with improvised explosive devices in Kanker
  • Feb 18, 2018: 2 state police personnel killed in gun battle with CPI (Maoist) at Bhejji in Sukma district
  • April 24, 2017: 26 CRPF killed in clash with Maoists  in Burkapal-Chintagufa area in south Bastar area
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