Bihar Elections: NDA Candidate Jyoti Manjhi Attacked, Hospitalized After Stone Pelting

Jyoti Baleshwar Manjhi, the sitting MLA from Bihar's Barachatti constituency and candidate of Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM), was seriously injured after unidentified assailants attacked her vehicle on Wednesday night. The attack took place while she was campaigning in the Sulebatta Mod area of Barachatti, Gaya district.

Chaos After Sudden Attack

According to eyewitnesses, Manjhi's open vehicle came under heavy stone pelting by unknown individuals. One of the stones struck her chest, while others caused injuries to her head and hands. Her supporters immediately rushed her from the spot amid panic and confusion.

She was first admitted to a nearby local hospital and later referred to Magadh Medical College for further treatment. Police officials said an investigation has been initiated and statements of six witnesses have been recorded so far.

"Jyoti Manjhi, who was returning to her office after campaigning, was reportedly attacked while standing near her vehicle in Barachatti. A stone was thrown at her by an unidentified individual, hitting her. The police responded quickly, with an FST vehicle and a patrolling car stationed nearby. However, no one witnessed the attacker or could identify who threw the stone. The woman with her at the time also couldn't provide any details," said DSP Ajay Prasad.

Previous Attacks Raise Security Concerns

This is not the first time Jyoti Manjhi's campaign has come under threat. Earlier, her campaign vehicle was targeted in Kharanti village under Magadh University police station limits, where miscreants tore posters from her vehicle. In another incident at Dema village, bike-borne youths reportedly entered her convoy and shouted slogans during her outreach event.

The repeated targeting of the HAM leader has raised serious security concerns ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, especially in the Naxal-affected belt of Gaya.

Political Reactions and Condemnations

Jitan Ram Manjhi, the founder of HAM and former Chief Minister of Bihar, condemned the incident strongly. He described it as "an attack on democracy" and demanded swift police action against those responsible.

Supporters of Jyoti Manjhi also staged protests in parts of Barachatti, expressing anger over the incident, which occurred just a day before the first phase of polling.

Jyoti Manjhi's Political Standing

Jyoti Manjhi, who is related to Jitan Ram Manjhi through family ties, represents the Barachatti (reserved) Assembly seat. She defeated RJD's Samta Devi in the 2020 elections, marking a significant win for the NDA in what was historically an RJD stronghold.

Under the current NDA seat-sharing arrangement, HAM has fielded six candidates, including Jyoti Manjhi and her daughter Deepa Manjhi, who is a sitting MLA from Imamganj. The NDA has distributed 101 seats each to the BJP and JDU, while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has been allotted 29.