By IANS,
Mumbai : Two political activists, both of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), were killed and several others injured in violence following civic polls in Maharashtra, police said Monday. Public property, including vehicles, was also damaged during the violence.
In Nagpur, a Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) activist Keshavanad Atre was killed after a candidate from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena attacked him with an iron rod late Saturday, police said.
“The family of the victim claims that a candidate from MNS, Sanjay Barai, had threatened Atre not to campaign for BJP. After Barai came to know that Atre still supported BJP, he came with a few accomplices and attacked him Saturday night,” said an official from Nagpur’s Imamwada Police Station.
“We have arrested Barai and eight others in connection with the case and are investigating the matter further,” he added.
In Mumbai, the body of a BJP leader was found from his office in Dharavi.
“Vasantlal Jotha’s body was found by party workers after they opened the office this (Monday) morning,” an official from Dharavi Police Station told IANS.
“He seems to have undergone a struggle before his death. However, we will be able to get a clear picture only after the post-mortem report,” he added.
In Nashik, a defeated Shiv Sena candidate Nivrutti Datir and two others were Monday arrested for attacking rebel party activist Dilip Datir, who had contested as an Independent, Nashik police said.
Dilip has been admitted to a hospital in critical condition.
“Both had contested the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) election but were defeated. Alleging that he would have won if Dilip had not contested, Nivrutti and his supporters had attacked Dilip with swords and metal rods Sunday night,” an official said.
In Pune, over 30 vehicles were vandalised by Independent candidate Aba Sutar and his supporters.
According to police, Sutar was a rebel from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
After official NCP candidate Rohini Chimate won the seat, he vandalised the vehicles of her supporters.
“Chimate had earlier asked for protection against Sutar and now she has again registered a complaint against Sutar for vandalism,” a Pune police official said.
Several incidents of vandalism also took place at several places in Mumbai including Ghatkopar, Antop Hill, Dadar and Govandi in central Mumbai and Andheri in northwest Mumbai in the last two days.
Civic polls were held in 10 municipal corporations in the state, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) last Thursday.