Jan Suraaj worker and former RJD leader Dularchand Yadav was shot dead on Thursday in Mokama during a clash between two rival groups.
Yadav, once a powerful figure in the Mokama-Tal region and a close aide of Lalu Prasad Yadav, was campaigning for Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshi when the clash broke out.
As gunfire tore through the crowd, Yadav was hit in the chest and died on the spot.
Abhishek Singh, sub-divisional police officer, Barh-2 said, "Police received information that the convoys of two parties were crossing each other when one party fired at the other over some issue and also tried to run them over. FIR will be registered and further action will be taken. Proper investigation will be done here and further action will be taken."
The killing, coming in the middle of the election campaign in Bihar, when the state is under the model code of conduct, has reignited questions about law and order.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav condemned the violence and aimed at the ruling government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He questioned how, under the model code of conduct, people were still roaming around with “guns and bullets” while the Prime Minister continued to talk about the past.
“What happened 30 minutes ago?” Tejashwi asked, referring to the shooting in Mokama. He accused the administration of shielding criminals and prioritising their own safety over public security.
“These people are afraid of defeat,” he said, warning that the people of Bihar would give a befitting reply.
Tejashwi added that Dularchand’s killing reflected the kind of people who had “taken over Bihar” and urged the Prime Minister to open his eyes to the growing frustration among citizens.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor said, “Senior leaders of the party have gone to Mokama. As soon as we receive any updates, we will inform everyone.”
JD(U)’s Mokama candidate Anant Singh said, “We were meeting people and asking them to vote for us. On the way, we saw several vehicles; they too were campaigning and started shouting ‘Murdabad’. I told my supporters not to respond, and we moved away. Some of my vehicles were behind us. Surajbhan was fully prepared for a clash and his people started attacking our vehicles. Dularchand was the first one to raise his hand. I moved ahead with about 30 vehicles behind me, and they attacked 10 of the vehicles at the rear. My supporters’ vehicles were vandalised.”
Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh said, "This is the kind of governance; that is why we are appealing to the people of Bihar to quickly bid farewell to this government."
After the incident, Piyush Priyadarshi said in a Facebook post, "The administration is doing nothing." Piyush said that an answer will be given very soon for what happened to Dularchand Yadav.