Arrested cadre Podiyam Linga has claimed that he and other Maoists campaigned for the BJP in the 2008 Assembly elections. Linga,accused of murdering powerful BJP leader Shivdayal Singh Tomar,was arrested by a joint team of CRPF and district police in Dantewada Monday morning. He made the claim at a press conference in the office of Dantewada SP Narendra Khare and in the presence of CRPF officers. Related:Seized letters indicate Maoists in touch with BJD,Cong leaders Linga said he and other Maoists,including Katekalyan area commander Sukhram,Sannu and Joga,visited the district headquarters,met Tomar and other BJP men and had tea with them. He said they also met at Circuit House,less than 500 metres from the SP office. Related: Who are India's Maoists and why they are in the news Linga claimed he was ne-phew of BJP MLA from Dantewada Bhima Mandavi and Sukhram was Mandavis uncle. He said both visited Mandavis home. SP Khare said: Sukh-ram is a known commander,named in several cases and absconding for 15 years. Related: In Bengal,many former Maoists in poll fray as Trinamool candidates About Linga and Sukhrams repeated visits to Dantewada,he said: What can we do? No one recognises them. Khare confirmed Linga was Mandavis nephew,but said: If someones relative is a criminal that doesnt make him/her criminal too. I do not know about their campaigning (for the BJP). I was not here last elections. Mandavi admitted Sukhram and Linga were from his village Toylanka but denied relation with them. They are not in my relation. Linga did not campaign for me. I can show you the list of BJP election campaign people, he said,and added he got only 43 votes from Toylanka,while the CPI candidate secu-red 402 votes,in the 2008 polls. If he was a BJP man and had campaigned for me,would I get so little votes in my area? Mandavi confirmed Tomar was associated with Linga. Tomarji did give him some work during the Bastar Lok Sabha bypoll in 2011. They also had lunch together. Tomarji himself told me this, he said. Mandavi claimed he had asked the CM to take strict action against Linga. BJPs Dinesh Kashyap won the Bastar LS seat in 2011 bypoll. In fact,the tribal-dominated Bastar has been the deciding factor in Raman Singhs victory in Chhattisgarh that has a small Assembly of 90 seats. Of the 12 seats in Bastar,BJP won 9 in 2003 and 11 in 2008,just after the Salwa Judum and amid massive violence and tribal discontent against the administration. Dantewada BJP vice-president Tomar was an influential contractor who carried out several construction projects for the government. He,according to Linga,was murdered for denying commission to Maoists. Khare said Linga had sought Rs 60,000 from Tomar in lieu of a construction work the Maoists allowed last year. But Tomar refused to pay,saying jo karna hai kar le.
