Mahendra Singh Yadav, the Congress candidate for Kolaras Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh, suffered injuries when police lathi-charged party workers who were staging a protest at Khatoura in the district, the opposition party claimed tonight.
The by-election is scheduled for February 24.
Congress workers were protesting against the presence of BJP MLA Narendra Singh Kushwaha in the constituency after the end of the campaign at 5 PM, said Congress spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi.
As Kushawaha's SUV was passing, Congress workers surrounded it and deamanded that police search the vehicle on the suspicion that there was cash inside, but the police failed to do so, Chaturvedi added.
The car driver sped off, and enarged workers pelted stones, prompting police to lathi-charge, he said. Yadav, who had rushed to the spot after getting information about party workers' protest, suffered injuries in the lathi-charge, Chaturvedi said.
BJP MLA Kushwaha, on the other hand, told reporters that when he was returning home in his SUV, the vehicle was damaged by Congress workers.
Police searched the SUV and not a single rupees was found in it, he said, adding that he lodged an FIR about the attack on him at the Kolaras police station.
Shivpuri Collector Tarun Rathi said the matter was under investigation. The District Superintendent of Police and Additional District Magistrate had gone to the spot to probe the incident, he said.
Protesting against the incident, Congress workers, led by MLA Ramniwas Rawat, staged a sit-in before the Collector's residence in Shivpuri, demanding action against BJP leaders.
Police could not be contaced for comment about the allegation of lathi-charge.
Senior Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia raised the issue with the Election Commission in Delhi, Congress spokesperson Chaturvedi claimed.
Madhya Pradesh deputy chief electoral officer S S Bansal said, "We have received complaints on the issue and concerned officers are probing the incident."
The high-voltage campaign for by-elections to Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh ended today. The by-polls, scheduled for February 24, were necessitated due to the death of Congress MLAs Mahendra Singh Kalukheda (Mungaoli) and Ram Singh Yadav (Kolaras).
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