Jalpaiguri, May 5: Srilal Oraon lived in anonymity and died unsung some six months ago. But a week before the polls, he has been resurrected as the face of starvation-stricken tea workers.

An emaciated Oraon, bare-bodied and in a lungi, stares vacantly out of posters plastered all over Alipurduar constituency. “See, reflect, decide. The result of 26 years of Left Front rule,” reads the message.

Party symbols do not find a place in the posters, but they urge people to cast their votes in favour of Ratanlal Baraik, the Congress candidate.

But why did the party choose to go with pictures of Oraon over Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi?

“We want people to realise the pathetic condition of tea workers. Though they are aware of the failure of the state and the Centre to address the problem and come up with solutions to help dying workers, we want everybody to see the truth as it is,” said Biswaranjan Sarkar, the Congress’ Jalpaiguri president.

That, however, is not how the CPM looks at it. “The Congress has used a dead man for political mileage. There can be nothing more shameful. Its leaders are trying to fool the public. Cheap stunts do not win votes,” said Manik Sanyal, the district party secretary.

Oraon was suffering from acute malnutrition and cirrhosis of the liver. An NGO working in the gardens took him to Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital. Oraon was released a few days later with the advice to take a healthy diet. “That was an impossibility and he died some days later at 47,” said Sanjoy Chakrobarty, the secretary of the NGO.