On camera, Congress candidate brandishes pistol outside polling booth in Jharkhand

Ranchi, Nov 30: A Congress candidate in Jharkhand was seen brandishing a pistol after his supporters clashed with those of the BJP candidate at a polling booth at Jharkhand's Daltonganj assembly constituency.

A video posted by news agency ANI shows Congress' K N Tripathi holding a pistol after he was allegedly stopped by BJP candidate Alok Chaurasia's supporters from entering the polling booths in Kosiyara village of Palamu.

Tripathi in the middle of a crowd later left the place amid the crowd raised slogans.

In another incident of violence, Maoists blew up a culvert on Gumla-Lohardaga border soon after the voting began in the first phase of polls in Jharkhand. However, no casualty was reported and the poll process was unaffected by the incident.

The fate of 189 candidates, including 15 women nominees, will be decided in the first phase of the polling in Chatra, Gumla, Bishunpur, Lohardaga, Manika, Latehar, Panki, Daltonganj, Bishrampur, Chhatarpur, Hussainabad, Garhwa and Bhawanathpur.

The BJP, which is seeking a second straight win under the leadership of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, is contesting in 12 seats in the first phase while it is supporting Independent candidate Vinod Singh from Hussainabad.

The AJSU party is contesting on its own. Challenging the BJP is the opposition alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

While the Congress is contesting in six seats in the first phase, the JMM is fighting in four and the RJD in three constituencies in the first phase.