BJP leaders shot by Maoists in Palamu, two dead

Just a few days ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, two leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday have been shot dead by unknown assailants in Palamu district. According to reports, one of the leaders who has been shot dead has been identified as Mohan Gupta. According to the villagers, Gupta was shot around eight to ten times. Further, reports stated that the Maoists had earlier attacked Gupta in 2012. According to reports, the Jharkhand police have released a manhunt operation to nab the assailants and have also started an investigation.  

Four police personnel killed in Latehar

Four police personnel were killed in a Maoist attack in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Friday, November 22. According to reports, the Maoists attacked a PCR van which was carrying a police party in Chandwa police station area of the district. The police personnel who were killed in the attack were identified as Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Sakra Uranv and three home guards-Dinesh Kumar, Sikander Singh and Yamuna Ram. The Director-General of Police Kamal Nayan Choube said that the Maoist group responsible for the attack has been identified and appropriate action will be taken against them. The DGP assured that the police will take enough security measures to ensure smooth elections in Jharkhand. 

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Jharkhand Assembly elections

Jharkhand will undergo polls later this year, following Maharashtra and Haryana, which voted on October 21. Polling on the 81 seats will take place in five phases, with the first phase being scheduled on November 30 and the last one on December 20. The counting will take place on December 23. The term of the 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly ends on January 5 next year. 

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