Gujarat Elections 2022: Congress candidate from Danta constituency, Kantibhai Kharadi has alleged that he was assaulted by BJP candidate Latu Parghi on Sunday. The politician said he had to run for 10-15 km to escape into a jungle.
"While our car was returning, some cars chased us. BJP candidate (from Danta constituency) Latu Parghi and 2 others came with weapons, with swords. We thought we must escape, we ran for 10-15 km and for 2 hours we were in the jungle," Kantibhai Kharadi said.
"Whatever happened is unfortunate. I was going to my area as there's election. I saw that the atmosphere was heated there so I decided to escape," Kharadi further added after Rahul Gandhi claimed that he was "brutally attacked by BJP goons & was missing".
Gujarat Congress working president Jignesh Mevani was the first to share the information about the missing party candidate on social media. "BJP candidate and party goons have attacked Congress candidate Kantibhai Kharadi, when he was returning after visiting villages and workers, his car was intercepted and attacked, it was an attempt to kill him, the vehicle has turtled and Kantibhai is still missing," Mevani said in a tweet.
Banaskatha district police control room in-charge confirmed that the control room has received an information about an attack on Kanti Kharadi. The incident has happened in the Hadad Police station area. When contacted, the investigation officer VR Makwana was not reachable.
The district Congress president Bharatsinh Vaghela told IANS that his efforts to reach Kharadi has failed. "Though I tried to speak and seek intervention of the Superintendent of Police, he is not responding to my calls."
Danta seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribe communities. BJP has fielded Latubhai Parghi against him.
The seat is set to go for polls Monday along with 92 other constituencies of the state in the second and final phase of the assembly elections in the state.
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