NEW DELHI, Nov 5 (NNN-PTI) – A local leader of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was killed yesterday, by Naxals, in the central state of Chhattisgarh, police said.
Ratan Dubey was killed when he was campaigning for the upcoming local elections in Kaushalnar of Narayanpur district, about 274 km south of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.
“Today (yesterday), a BJP leader, namely Ratan Dubey, was murdered with an axe, at the Kaushalnar market area. He was inside the market to do campaigning for his party,” a police official said. “It is suspected that the attackers were Naxals.”
Following the killing, authorities rushed government forces to the area to track down the assailants.
The killing came three days ahead of the first phase of local elections in Chhattisgarh.
Reports said Naxals have asked people not to participate in the elections, and such posters were spotted in Narayanpur.
Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India.
The insurgency has reportedly claimed hundreds of lives, besides rendering thousands of inhabitants homeless.– NNN-PTI
