Patna, April 14(Inditop) Suspected Maoists set on fire the election campaign vehicle of Mahabali Singh, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) candidate from Bihar’s Karakat constituency, early Tuesday, police said.
The vehicle was burnt in Aurangabad district, about 150 km from here, on the last day of the campaign for the seat. Police said it was the first such case.
Mahabali Singh’s opponent in the Karakat seat is central minister Kanti Singh of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has called for boycott of the Lok Sabha polls.
In Bihar, most Maoist affected areas will go to the polls in the first phase April 16. The government will deploy central paramilitary forces in large numbers to ensure peaceful voting, officials said.
In the first phase, in which 13 of the state’s 40 seats will go to the polls, choppers will be deployed for security.
Elections in Bihar have usually been troubled affairs. In the 1999 Lok Sabha polls, 74 people were killed. In 2004, the toll was 20.
rounak