Following the conclusion of the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections, an incident of gunfire occurred in Bihar's capital Patna on Saturday. According to the information, the incident occurred in Masaurhi when the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Patliputa candidate Ram Kripal Yadav visited the area. He had travelled to Masaurhi in Patna to visit an injured party worker and to review the voting process at a local booth. A man is said to have opened fire in front of Yadav's car in the area.
About the incident
During his visit, two unidentified individuals engaged in aerial firing in close proximity to Yadav. The incident, which allegedly unfolded directly in front of him, has raised concerns about the security of political candidates during the election period. Late in the evening, following the conclusion of the seventh phase of voting, Ramkripal Yadav was returning from the Tineri booth in Patna. He was accompanied by some youths from Tineri. As they approached Mathiya village, some inidentified youth allegedly opened fire. During this, a young man from Tineri is said to have sustained head injuries. This violent incident, which occurred around 6 pm, has added to the tension in the region.
FIR registered
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) stated that a complaint has been filed which mentions an attack on Ram Kripal Yadav's convoy, during which bullets were fired. Based on this application, an FIR has been lodged. The SSP added that all remaining details will be clarified during the investigation. The FIR lists nine individuals in connection with the incident.
Eighth phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bihar
It should be mentioned here that lok Sabha polls to eight constituencies of Bihar were largely peaceful in the seventh and final phase on Saturday, with a provisional voter turnout of 50.56 per cent, officials said. Voting was held in Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Arrah, Karakat, Jehanabad, Buxar, Nalanda and Jehanabad from 7 am to 6 pm. Patliputra recorded a voter turnout of 56.91 per cent, Buxar (53.70%), Karakat (53.44%), Jehanabad (51.20%), Sasaram (51%), Arrah (48.50%), Nalanda (46.50%) and Patna Sahib (45%) till 6 pm on Saturday. A few stray incidents of clashes among supporters of different political parties were reported in Bhojpur, Kaimur and Jehanabad, but those did not impact the polling process, the officials said. A total of 85 people were either arrested or detained in connection with the clashes, an officer of Bihar Police said.
