The residents of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh came out in huge numbers to vote in the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday, 11 April, just two days after a convoy of BJP leaders was blown up by Maoists in the region.
Hours after BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi, three security personnel and a driver were killed in a Maoist attack in the region on Tuesday, 9 April, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the government will respond to the Maoists “in a language they best understand.”
Despite the attack, the Election Commission had announced that polling in the state will be held as per schedule.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, Chhattisgarh DGP DM Awasthi told the media that Mandavi was warned by police against taking that particular route from Bacheli to Kuwakonda.
Moments after the incident, PM Narendra Modi on Twitter condemned the attack and said that “sacrifices of these martyrs will not go in vain.”
- Maoists blew up the vehicle, carrying Mandavi, three security personnel and a driver, with an IED and opened fire at the occupants
- Visuals from the blast site showed the mangled remains of the vehicle and a gaping hole on the road on which it passed before Naxals blew it up
Read the live updates of the Dantewada Maoist attack on BJP convoy here.
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46.59% Voter Turnout as of 3 pm in Uttarakhand
The residents of Dantewada in Chhattisgarh came out in huge numbers to vote in the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday, 11 April, just two days after a convoy of BJP leaders was blown up by Maoists in the region.
46.59 percent voter turnout was recorded in the five constituencies of Uttarakhand till 3 pm, in the first phase of polling.
Chhattisgarh BJP Leaders Change 'Profile Pictures' to Condemn Naxal Attack
BJP leaders in Chhattisgarh took to social media to express grief and anger over the death of a party MLA in Naxal attack, replacing their profile pictures with a black circle.
Former chief minister Raman Singh, state BJP chief Vikram Usendi, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Dharamlal Kaushik and others changed their profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter as a mark of protest.
100 Naxals Suspected to Be Involved in Dantewada Ambush
At least 100 Naxals are suspected to be involved in the Dantewada attack which took place on Tuesday, police told PTI.
According to reports, police have recovered a GPS device of Naxals from the site in which the rebels had set the location of the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) used in the incident.
"We have received inputs that around 100 Naxals, including 50 to 60 armed and rest militia (lower rung) members, led by commanders Deva and Vinod, were involved in the attack," Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI.
Three weapons, including a 9 MM pistol and two rifles, were reported to be missing from the attack site, he said.
Mortal Remains of BJP MLA Brought to Party Office
The mortal remains of BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi were brought to the party's office in Dantewada on Wednesday morning.
