Patna: The body of a candidate contesting the ongoing Bihar panchayat polls was found hanging from a tree Friday morning, police said.
Rajendra Mahto, who was contesting from Baghauni panchayat in Samastipur, about 75 km from here, was found dead a day before the fourth phase of the elections.
Mahto`s family alleged that he had been killed by his political rivals.
"He was killed by political rivals, who were threatened by his presence in the electoral fray," a family member told police.
Angry villagers protested, demanding action against those responsible.
Despite the state government`s claims of conducting peaceful panchayat polls, there have been many incidents of violence and killings.
Earlier this week, the husband of a candidate was killed by a group of unidentified men in Nalanda district.
Before that, three supporters of the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) were killed and four seriously injured in firing by a group of unidentified men in a village in Vaishali district.
The first round of the 10-phase panchayat polls saw a police officer and a woman killed in a Maoist attack in Jamui district. The Maoists have issued a poll boycott call and threatened to disrupt the elections.
The polls for 262,000 panchayat posts will end May 28.
IANS
