Latur: In a tragic incident, a 38-year-old truck driver and a supporter of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who uploaded a video claiming that he would be "no more" if party leader Pankaja Munde lost in the Lok Sabha elections from Maharashtra's Beed, died in a bus accident in what police suspected might be a case of suicide.
The incident took place on Ahmedpur-Andhori road near Borgaon Pati at around 9 pm on Friday and the victim has been identified as Sachin Kondiba Munde (38), a resident of Yestar in Latur's Ahmedpur, the Kingaon police station official said. The victim had claimed that he would die in Pankaja Munde lost in the Lok Sabha elections, according to news agency PTI.
"The bus driver has been arrested, while a probe is underway to find out if it was an accident or a case of suicide. It happened when the Yalderwadi night halt bus stopped at Borgaon Pati. Sachin was standing behind the bus and was crushed to death when it reversed," said the police official. The bus belonging to the State Road Transport Corporation has been seized.
The deceased, who is unmarried and lived with his parents and brother, had released a video in which he claimed "Sachin will be no more if Pankaja Munde loses the poll". The video had gone viral at the time. The deceased's kin said he was depressed since the poll result and had gone silent. His last rites were held on Saturday morning in the village, they added.
Pankaja Munde lost the Beed Lok Sabha poll to Congress leader Bajrang Sonawane by 6,553 votes in a very close contest. Incidentally, the results of the Beed poll was the last to be announced by the Election Commission in the early hours of June 5.
The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state. The Shiv Sena (Shinde) managed seven seats and the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar, could secure only one seat. The Shiv Sena (UBT) secured nine seat and Sharad Pawar's NCP got eight seats.
(with inputs from PTI)
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