Poll Violence

(Hazaribag, 6 Feb) One person was killed and three others were sreriously injured when members of the outlawed Maoist Communist Centre(MCC) attacked an election meeting of Congress at Kurukhap village under Mandu police station in Hazaribagh district. Heavily-armed MCC men opened several rounds of fire to disperse the meeting at Kurukhap village injuring four persons. The meeting was organised to canvass support for Congress candidate for Mandu assembly constituency, Kumar Mahesh Singh.The MCC and the Peoples War Group have given a boycott call of the Assembly polls in the state.

(Ranchi, 3 Feb) The Union Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Mr. Babulal Marandi and the Union Minister of State for Food Processing, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain were roughed up by Youth Congress workers at the Ranchi airport when they were about to board a chopper for campaigning in the Jharkhand areas. Jharkhand unit of the Regional Youth Congress had recently stated that they would not allow the entry of any Union Minister in the region. The YC workers were incensed that the ruling coalition had not introduced the Bihar Reorganisation Bill in Parliament during the winter session.