Violence Erupts in Bihar Ahead of Assembly Elections, Jan Suraaj Worker Found Dead

Clash Leads to Fatality in Patna District

A worker from the Jan Suraaj party was discovered deceased in Tartar village, located in Bihar's Patna district, following a violent confrontation involving alleged supporters of the party and the ruling Janata Dal (United). This incident was reported on Thursday.

The region falls under the Mokama Assembly constituency, which is set to hold elections on November 6.

With the model code of conduct currently in effect, the state is preparing for Assembly elections scheduled for November 6 and November 11, with vote counting slated for November 14.

The clash reportedly occurred between 3:30 PM and 3:40 PM, when the officer in charge of Ghoswari police station was alerted about a disturbance between two groups near Tartar village. Police quickly arrived at the scene, accompanied by forces assigned for election oversight.

According to an unnamed police official, several vehicles with shattered windshields were found parked nearby.

Inside one of these vehicles, authorities located the body of Dularchand Yadav, as stated by the officer.

Patna's Senior Superintendent of Police, Kartikeya K Sharma, informed that they received reports of a candidate's supporter dying during the campaign in Mokama.

Sharma mentioned, “The precise cause of death remains unclear, as the body has not yet been transferred to the police. We will determine if it was due to gunshot wounds or an accidental death once we receive the body.”

A significant police presence has been established in the area, Sharma added.

Priyadarshi Piyush, the Jan Suraaj candidate for Mokama, reported to the police that he was en route for election campaigning when he encountered a convoy from JD(U) between Tartar and Basavanchak villages.

Piyush recounted that as the two convoys met, a dispute ensued, leading to stone-throwing and physical confrontations, according to an unnamed police source.

JD(U)’s Mokama candidate, Anant Singh, stated that he and his supporters were engaging with voters when the Jan Suraaj convoy allegedly began chanting slogans against them.

Singh remarked, “I instructed my supporters to refrain from responding, and we moved away. Some of my vehicles were behind us… [The rival convoy] began attacking our vehicles. I proceeded with around 30 vehicles trailing me, and they targeted 10 of the vehicles at the back, vandalizing them.”

In the aftermath, Tejashwi Yadav, a leader from the Rashtriya Janata Dal and chief ministerial candidate for the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of enabling criminal activities during the Bihar elections.

Yadav questioned, “How can individuals carry firearms during the campaign when the model code of conduct is already in place?” He expressed concern over the murder of Dularchand Yadav, emphasizing the implications for law and order in the state.

Manoj Bharti, the state chief of Jan Suraaj, condemned the incident, attributing it to those who manipulate fear to secure votes.

He stated, “This is an attack on our democratic rights. We vehemently denounce the assault on our Mokama Assembly candidate Priyadarshi Piyush's convoy and the murder of one of his supporters.”