JD-U's polling agent murdered while on morning walk

A Janata Dal-United leader was allegedly murdered in Bihar's Nalanda district in the early hours of Monday, the police said.

The incident happened in Maua village in the Parwalpur police station area around 4.30 am when Anil Kumar (62) had gone out for morning walk, they said.

He was a polling agent of the JD-U when elections happened in the area on June 1, they added.

Armed men, who are yet to be identified, first beat him up and then stabbed him, the police said.

"His family took him to the nearest hospital from where he was referred to the district government hospital. He died there while undergoing treatment," district magistrate Shashank Shubhankar said.

"The police immediately reached the spot and sent the body for the post-mortem examination. The exact cause of the incident is not known. A case has been registered and a search is on to nab the accused," he said.

A clash happened between supporters of the JD-U and the opposition in the village on the day of the polling, the police said.

Several incidents of post-poll violence have been reported from various parts of the state over the last few weeks. While one person died in Saran, the convoy of BJP MP Ram Kripal Yadav was attacked in Patna.

Senior JD-U leader Shrawan Kumar, who is also the state rural development minister, told PTI that the murder was shocking and condemnable.

"The murder of our polling agent proves how the opposition parties, especially Rashtriya Janata Dal and CPI-ML) Liberation, are resorting to violence, fearing defeat. The accused must be nabbed immediately, strict action must be taken against those who are behind this brutal murder," he said.

Kumar, who has been the MLA of Nalanda since 1995, claimed that leaders of the Mahagathbandhan were nervous.

"They are going to be wiped out on June 4," he added.

In Nalanda, the home district of CM Nitish Kumar, JD-U MP Kaushlendra Kumar hopes to retain the seat for a record fourth term. His principal challenger is Sandeep Saurav, a CPI-ML Liberation MLA and former JNU students' union leader.