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DANTEWADA: The family of Congress leader Mahendra Karma, who was killed in the 2013 Jheeram Ghati massacre, was just 3 km away from the spot on Kuakonda Road when Maoists triggered an IED blast on Tuesday, killing BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi . However, the family escaped death as it heeded to the police warning not to take the road. But Mandavi paid with his life as he ignored the warning.

Both Mandavi and the Karma family were equally at risk, Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallava told TOI. Both the families had been campaigning in the area in their white bulletproof Scorpios, were invited to the same village fair, and had planned to take the Kuakonda Road.

“However, the Karmas chose to stay back at Nakulnar when police warned them about security issues in Kuakonda,” said the SP, adding: “Mandavi had promised the villagers on Monday that he would meet them again on Tuesday and attend the fair. So, he went ahead to fulfill his promise.”

Mandavi went ahead in his three-car convoy. The rebels saw the white Scorpio and triggered the IED. It was the last day of campaigning and several politicians were in the vicinity.

Mandavi attended a fair at Shyamgiri village after meeting locals. Karma’s son, Chavindra, was also expected there. Karma’s other son Deepak said: “It was a coincidence that all three members of our family — me, Chavindra and our mother (Devati) — were in Kuakonda and Nakulnar regions, meeting people on the last day of electioneering. In fact, Chavindra was among those invited to the Shyamgiri fair. He was to go there in the evening but security personnel called him up and advised him not to move ahead.”

Deepak realises that the Karma family could well have been the target — as they have bled earlier. “There is also the possibility that on the last day of campaigning, Maoists planted the IED to blow up a vehicle of any political party,” he said.

At the blast site in Kuakonda, one of the villagers requesting anonymity said around 50 armed Maoists had arrived a few days ago at the village fair about 1 km away from there.

The attack was planned by Chetu and Deva of Odisha Balangir committee of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), he claimed. Another villager said the IED that weighed around 50kg seemed to have been fitted in the last few days since both sides of the road were dug up for its widening six months ago.

The mark of a long wire — starting from a small rock near the bushes 50 metres away from the road to the crater — is still visible at the site. Just a few steps away, empty cartridges of bullets fired after the attack are still lying around.

“Mandavi went to the fair and stayed there for some time. By that time, the Maoist informers at the fair sent out a word about his movement and the route he was taking,” a police officer said.

Mandavi, who was killed on Tuesday, was a tribal from a poor family who grew up and lived among Naxals and was overconfident that they wou- ldn’t harm him, said a top local officer. “His uncle, who died a few years ago, used to be a Naxalite too and had been his protector in a way,” he added.

A villager said Mandavi was on the Maoist hit list ever since he played a role in the ‘salwa judum’ movement against Naxals. Incidentally, Mandavi defeated Congress’ Mahendra Karma, who was the architect of salwa judum , in 2008 assembly elections and his widow in the 2018 polls.

As the Mandavi family mourned, outside Gadapal village, people said they were determined to defy the Maoist threats and vote on Thursday.

