Yavatmal:
Rahul Gandhi made her a household name when he narrated her story during the nuclear debate in Parliament. Overnight, 48-year-old Kalawati Bandurkar, a poor widow from Vidharbha, became a centre of media attention. Everyone wanted to know more about her.
Now another first, Kalawati will contest the Maharashtra Assembly polls as a candidate of the Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti.
Kalavati says she agreed to contest the elections because thousands of farmers were killing themselves because of wrong government policies, and she wanted to help these farmers and their families.
Vidharbha in Maharashtra is suicide country. Over 2000 cotton farmers have committed suicide in the last two years.
This region also has 62 constituencies that will go to the polls in October, and will be crucial to who comes to power.