Mandavi’s relatives at the Dantewada hospital. (Express photo by Dipankar Ghose)Bhima Mandavi withstood a Congress storm in the Vidhan Sabha elections in Bastar last year and was the only BJP candidate in Bastar’s 12 seats to win. He was a key figure in the BJP’s campaign for Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to the polls on Thursday.
Ten minutes before campaigning ended on Tuesday, Mandavi was among the five killed in an IED blast that targeted his car.
Mandavi, who came from Gadapal village in Dantewada district, came up through grassroots politics, first winning the village panchayat polls. He was always connected to the BJP and was an enthusiastic campaigner and organiser. He shot to fame in 2008, when he defeated senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma in the Vidhan Sabha polls.
He lost the next elections to Karma’s wife, Devti — after Karma was among 28 Congress leaders killed in the Jhiram Ghati attack in May 2013.
Read | On last day of campaigning, BJP MLA, four others killed in Naxal attack
By 8 pm Tuesday, Mandavi’s family members stood outside Dantewada district hospital. His father Linga Mandavi, a farmer back in Gadapal who can speak only Gondi, told the media that he was first informed about his son’s death by a Maoist Jan Militia member of his village. Jan militia and Sangham members are Maoist representatives at the village level.
Dantewada Naxal Attack: BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi was killed in the ambush by Naxals.“He said my son had been killed. I asked him why… Now when I return I want to kill him too — I want to burn both (Maoist member and his son) of them together,” Mandavi senior said.
Among those outside the hospital was Nandlal Mudami, a BJP leader from Dantewada who survived a Maoist attack in October last year.
Scars all over his body, Mudami said, “This is what it means to be a politician in Dantewada. Mandavi was a good leader and was leading our campaign in Bastar. Only yesterday he held a meeting in Geedam with O P Choudhary. He was not fazed at being the only BJP MLA here. In Dantewada, the BJP was especially sure of a lead.”
Mandavi is survived by wife and three children. His first wife had died of illness several years ago.
Mudiyami was also was critical of the Congress government. “They have let go of any gains. It was always dangerous in Bastar but the forces have not being moving out of their camps (now). In Dantewada, Maoists are reclaiming lost ground. Moreover, they (government) are not giving adequate security. Even after my attack, they gave me only two security guards.”
