Just two days before the commencement of the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, a Naxal ambush on Tuesday, 9 April, killed BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi along with four others in Dantewada region in Chhattisgarh.
As per reports, Mandavi who was campaigning in the area was killed after a vehicle in the MLA's convoy was blown up with an improvised explosive device (IED) when it was heading towards Kuwakonda from Bacheli area .
In December 2018, the 40-year-old leader had snatched the reserved constituency of Dantewada from the Congress' Devti Karma during the state Assembly polls. Mandavi who got a total 37,990 votes, won with 2,172 votes.
This was Mandavi's second victory after becoming an MLA for the first time in 2008. He was defeated in 2013, however remained to be a prominent Opposition leader until his victory in 2018.
(Catch all the live updates on Dantewada attack here)
‘Diligent & Courageous’: PM Modi Condoles Mandavi’s Demise
Meanwhile, moments after the incident, the BJP leader’s death was condoled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter. In the post, PM Modi said:
“Bhima Mandavi was a dedicated Karyakarta of the BJP. Diligent and courageous, he assiduously served the people of Chhattisgarh. His demise is deeply anguishing. Condolences to his family and supporters.”
(With inputs from Dainik Bhaskar)
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