BJP worker gunned down in Manipur hours before start of assembly polls

Voters wait in queues to cast their votes at a polling booth, during the second phase of the Manipur Assembly elections. Pic/PTI

Violence erupted in some places of Manipur hours before the second phase of assembly polls began on Saturday, as a BJP supporter was gunned down allegedly by a Congress worker, while a crude bomb exploded outside the residence of an expelled saffron party leader, police said.

L Amuba Singh, 25, succumbed to bullet injuries early on Saturday at a hospital here, a police officer said.

Polling for the second and last phase of assembly elections in Manipur began at 7 am in 22 constituencies across six districts.

Singh, along with other BJP activists, had gone to the residence of the Congress worker in the early hours in Thoubal district to tell him to stop campaigning as the stipulated time for it was over, the officer said.

During an altercation over the issue, he allegedly fired at Singh, who was first taken to a hospital in the district and later referred to another health facility in Imphal, the officer said.

The Congress activist, who is yet to be arrested, was also injured after the visiting BJP workers hurled stones at him when Singh was shot, he added.

In another incident, unidentified miscreants lobbed a crude bomb at the residence of expelled BJP leader Ch Bijoy in Lamphel area in Manipur's Imphal West district, police said.

The incident took place on Friday night, hours before the second phase of the assembly elections was to begin, they said.

Nobody was injured in the blast triggered by two masked persons, who came in a two-wheeler, a police officer said.

Bijoy, who was expelled from the saffron party last month for six years on disciplinary grounds, told reporters, "The attack might be a threat¿ to make me politically silent."

Further investigation is underway.

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