A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was hacked to death by suspected Naxalites in Narayanpur district of poll-bound Chhattisgarh on Saturday, just three days before the first phase of elections.
According to police, Ratan Dubey, the BJP district unit vice president, was campaigning in Kaushalnagar village under Jharaghati police station area when he was attacked by two unidentified men with a sharp edged weapon at 5.30 pm.
"Security forces have launched an operation in the area to trace the assailants," Additional Superintendent of Police Hemsagar Sidar said.
Police said even though they provide adequate security to poll campaign meetings, in this case, they had no information about Dubey’s visit to the area.
The BJP condemned the incident and said the Naxalites are scared that they will be eliminated if the BJP comes to power in the state.
"All BJP workers are with Dubey's family. We will eliminate Naxalism," BJP leader Om Mathur said on X.
The latest incident came amid BJP’s allegations of “targeted killings” of its workers in the run up to the polls.
On October 20, BJP worker Birju Taram was shot dead by suspected Maoists in Sarkheda village in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district.
Assembly elections will be held in the state in two phases on November 7 and November 17. Counting will take place on December 3.
Narayanpur, a Maoist-infested area, is among the 20 Assembly seats on which polls will be held on November 7.
