Nishikant Dubey 'manhandled' at Godda polling booth

DUMKA: BJP’s Godda constituency candidate and outgoing MP, Nishikant Dubey , who is eyeing another term from this seat, was allegedly manhandled on Sunday by JVM-P supporters at a polling booth in Pasai village under Poriyahat police station of Godda district. Dubey was visiting the polling booth to inspect the election process when the incident happened.

Talking to the reporters, Dubey claimed that he was intercepted by “goons” of the mahagathbandhan candidate and JVM-P leader Pradeep Yadav.

“This is not for the first time when Yadav’s goons resorted to violence against me,” Dubey said, claiming that he was attacked in the 2009 and 2014 general elections, too, by Yadav's men.

He further said, “It was due to the prompt action of the police that the attackers who attempted to catch hold of my collar and tear my clothes, failed.”

Dubey, a two-time MP from Godda, said his polling agents were also thrashed which exposed rivals’ (mahagatbandhan) fear about their defeat. He, however, appealed to his supporters to stay calm. Poriyahat is said to be JVM-P candidate Pradeep Yadav’s bastion as he is also a local MLA from there.

In yet another incident, BJP’s two polling agents, Muneshwar Pandit and Rajbir Pandit, sustained injuries after they were beaten up allegedly by the polling agents of the rival party at a polling booth at the upgraded Urdu middle school in minority-dominated Khuthari village of Mahgama police station area. The sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Mahgama Virendra Kumar Choudhary said they controlled the situation by resorting to mild lathicharge.

“Separate FIRs will be lodged in connection with both the incidents and repoll will be requested with the Election Commission in those polling booths where my rival candidate scripted violence and prevented a section of voters from exercising their franchise,” Dubey added. Yadav could not be contacted for his comment.