Don-turned-neta killed by 'another bahubali's men'

PATNA: Bihar don-turned-neta Dularchand Yadav , once a familiar face by RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad's side, was shot dead Thursday during a clash in Patna's Mokama Tal , allegedly by assailants linked to rival strongman Anant Singh .

The 75-year-old was campaigning for Jan Suraaj candidate Priyadarshi Piyush when a confrontation between his supporters and Anant's group turned violent, marking the first major political killing of an otherwise peaceful election season.

Jan Suraaj members said their convoy, trailing a vehicle of Anant's supporters, was attacked by 20-25 men armed with sticks and rods. Amid the chaos, Dularchand was fatally shot, they told police.

Anant, nicknamed "Chhote Sarkar" for his influence in the region, alleged the attack was a conspiracy by former Mokama MP Surajbhan Singh, whose wife Veena Devi is contesting from the seat on an RJD ticket. "This is a ploy by Surajbhan to defame me ahead of the polls," he said, demanding an impartial probe.

SP Vikram Sihag said a preliminary investigation indicated both groups first clashed at Basawanchak village under Goswari police station before guns were drawn. "Dularchand's supporters allege he was shot and run over by a vehicle belonging to Anant Singh's men," he said.

Tejashwi Yadav blamed Nitish and Modi for "collapsing law and order" in Bihar.