ONE of the four Janajatiya women, who were made to crawl- dandavat parikrama- in Dakshin Dinajpur district in April this year as ‘punishment’ for joining the BJP, after they returned to the TMC, has been fielded by the ruling party for the upcoming panchayat elections. 

“I am happy that my party has made me a candidate for a gram panchayat seat. The tribal community is with our party and we will get their support and we will get their support in the panchayat elections,” Shiuli Mandi told. 

The TMC has fielded Mandi for the gram panchayat election in the Tapan area of the district. 

Locals said, the move was aimed at winning the support of the Janajatiya community which had severely affected due to the punishment given to the four tribal women. 

In April this year, about 200 people defected to the BJP from the TMC in Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur district. The BJP had accused the ruling party of forcing four Janajatiya women to return to the TMC. A day later, as a ‘punishment’, the women were made to perform “dandavat parikrama”.