Cong candidate, three others killed in NC Hills in Assam

Haflong, Nov 3 (UNI) The run-up for the North Cachar (NC) Hills District Council Body election got bloodier today with the killing of a Congress candidate along with his driver and two police personnel near the headquarter town here.

Police here said the incident took place at Redjol, 16 km from this town, at about 1330 hrs when unknown gunmen fired indiscriminately on Congress candidate Thuma Hmar's vehicle.

Hmar, his driver and two police personnel were killed in the firing.

Hmar was the Congress candidate from Kharthung seat for the North Cachar (NC) Hills District Autonomous Council (NCHDAC) election, slated for later in the month.

This is the second incident after seven CRPF jawans were gunned down by suspected Dimasa rebels of the Dima Halom Daogah (DHD) who attacked a CRPF convoy in the district yesterday.

The NCHDAC election, originally scheduled for June 12 last, had to be postponed after the outgoing Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the NCHDAC Purnendu Langthasa and another EM were shot dead by DHD militants on June four during campaigning. Congress had headed the previous council.

The militants had again threatened against the holding of any election in this hill district, but the government had maintained that the law and order situation was under control and no major disruption would take place in the poll process.

However, with 11 dead in two days, the elections had come under the cloud of doubt. The state Governor, who headed the District Council, following the dissolution of the previous, was also against the conduct of election without further improvement in the scene.

UNI