Chhattisgarh BJP Leader Ratan Dubey murdered days before election; Naxal involvement suspected

Ratan Dubey, vice-president of BJP's Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh was killed allegedly by Naxalites on Saturday days before the first phase of the Assembly Elections in the state on November 7.

Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh): Days before phase 1 of Assembly elections in the state, Naxalites allegedly killed a BJP leader in the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on Saturday.

The slain has been identified as Ratan Dubey, vice-president of BJP's Narayanpur district unit. The incident took place in the Kaushalnar area. A senior police official said a team has reached the spot to investigate the murder. Dubey had gone out for an election campaign in Kaushalnar when he was hacked to death by alleged Maoists.

"Ratan Dubey, the BJP's Narayanpur district unit vice president and the area's Assembly convenor, was hacked to death with a sharp edged weapon in the market at Kaushalnagar village while he was campaigning for Assembly polls scheduled for November 7 and 17," the official said. A police team has rushed to the spot and efforts to nab those involved are underway, he added.

Condoling the incident, BJP leader Om Mathur in a message on X said, "I am deeply saddened by the brutal murder of Chhattisgarh BJP's Narayanpur Assembly convenor and Narayanpur district vice president Ratan Dubey ji by Naxalites during the campaign. The entire party condemns this cowardly incident.

The incident comes amid accusations by the opposition BJP of "targeted killings" of its workers in the run up to the polls. On October 20, BJP worker Birju Taram was shot dead by suspected Maoists in Sarkheda village in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district. Narayanpur is among the 20 Assembly seats on which polls will be held on November 7. The second phase of polls to the 90-member House will take place on November 17, while votes will be counted on December 3.

Earlier this year, another BJP leader was murdered by Maoists in Mohla Manpur district. According to the ultras, Birjhu Tarem was a police informer. Naxalites had threatened to enforce an election boycott. Banners warning people to stay away from polls have been put up 10 kilometres away from Kanker district headquarters.