Independent candidate in Daryapur hurt in attack

Nagpur, Dec 4: Independent candidate Kanchanmala Gawande, who is contesting today's by-election to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Daryapur constituency in Amravati district of Vidarbha, sustained minor injuries on her head and chest after miscreants allegedly attacked her when she was travelling in her car to Anjangaon-Surji.

She was later discharged after being administered first-aid at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Anjangaon-Surji.

The miscreants had allegedly been following her car on two motorcycles when she left Daryapur, and signalled it to stop near village Hantoda, about Ssix km from Anjangaon-Surji, Mrs Gawande told UNI.

Thinking the men were her supporters, she asked the driver to stop the car. The four men then smashed the windscreen and the headlights of her car with stones, she said. One stone thrown at the car hit her head, while another on the chest, she explained. However, when challenged, the miscreants fled on their motorbikes, she added.

Ms Gawande said she had lodged a complaint with the Anjangaon-Surji police station in this connection, late yesterday night.

A by-election is being held in Daryapur today because Mr Prakash Bharsakale, who represented the seat, resigned from the House after quitting the Shiv Sena to join the Congress. Mr Bharsakale, a known loyalist of Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, is seeking re-election on a Congress ticket, while the Shiv Sena has fielded Mr Balasaheb Hingnikar.

Ms Gawande, who was the president of the Amravati district unit of the Mahila Congress, quit the party to enter the fray as an Independent candidate.

UNI