Bihar Deputy Chief Minister’s convoy attacked, stones thrown; poll body responds

The BJP accused the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of planning the attack after some unidentified individuals threw stones, cow manure, and slippers at Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha’s vehicle in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district on election day.

The attack, according to Sinha, a three-time MLA running for the Lakhisarai seat in the Bihar Assembly elections, was carried out by RJD supporters trying to prevent him from visiting Khoriari village. Images of the scene showed a mob encircling Sinha’s car, yelling slogans and obstructing his convoy’s progress. The BJP leader’s convoy is prevented from entering the area by a number of individuals who can be heard shouting “murdabad” slogans.

“These are RJD’s goons. They know the NDA is returning to power, that’s why they have resorted to hooliganism. They turned away my polling agent and didn’t let him vote. Look at their behaviour at booths 404 and 405 in Khoriari,” Sinha said .

Along with labeling the local police “cowardly and weak” and announcing preparations to stage a protest in the same village, Sinha also called for the deployment of central forces. Police, however, have stated that the situation is under control and that it was a protest by nearby people. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar responded to the incident by declaring that no one will be permitted to violate law and order and ordering the Bihar DGP to deal harshly with anyone who did so.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha had notified officials about the incident, according to DIG Rakesh Kumar, who visited Khuriyari village a few hours after it happened.

“Some locals staged a protest when the Deputy CM visited the village. I noticed that his vehicle had traces of mud and what appeared to be cow dung on it,” Kumar said.

He assured that strict action would be taken against those involved in the incident. “The police will register an FIR and conduct a thorough investigation. Whoever is found responsible will face stringent legal action,” he added.

When asked about the conduct of the elections, Kumar maintained that polling across the Munger range was peaceful. “The elections are being conducted in a completely fair manner. No disturbances have been reported from any booth, and voting has not been affected anywhere. In all three districts of the Munger range, polling has remained smooth and peaceful,” he said.

Before casting his ballot in the first round of the Bihar elections, where the NDA and the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan are the main contenders, Sinha went to the Jagdamba Temple earlier in the day to offer prayers. In Bihar, where voting is taking place in 121 of the state’s 243 constituencies, a voter turnout of 42.31 percent was reported at 1 pm.

Several ministers and important RJD officials, such as Tejashwi Yadav and his brother Tej Pratap, will have their fortunes determined by the first phase. High-stakes seats include Tarapur, where Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is running, Mahua, where Tej Pratap is running, and Raghopur, where Tejashwi is hoping to win for the third time in a row.