Delhi:
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councilor and candidate for the Delhi municipal elections to be held this weekend, Madhav Prasad, has been detained and is being questioned in the murder of a party worker. The worker, Jai Prakash, was stabbed at Azadpur railway station early this morning.
Madhav Prasad is a BJP councilor from North-West Delhi and is contesting the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls from ward number 71, Sangam Park. Police said that the two men had an altercation at a party workers' meeting yesterday - Jai Prakash reportedly did not favour Mr Prasad getting a ticket.
Supporters of the two men clashed, police said, and Jai Prakash was stabbed. He was taken to hospital, where he died this morning. It is still unclear whether Mr Prasad stabbed the victim, the police said.
The victim's brother, Virender Yadav, has claimed that Jai Prakash was killed by two men at the behest of Madhav Prasad. "We were crossing the area around 4am early in the morning. We stood there for some time. He said since we had no party-related work in the area, we should leave the place, we retorted back saying that he had no authority over that area. We refused to listen to him and a minor tussle ensued. He then called a few people...his nephew and two others stabbed him with a knife."
A police team inspected the scene of crime today and collected evidence.
This is the major first incidence of violence in the Delhi civic elections and an embarrassment the BJP, which is trying to retain control of the MCD. Senior Delhi BJP leader Vijay Goel said, "It is not right to say yet that he (Jai Prakash) was killed by him (Madhav Prasad). It was a dispute between two groups and this boy has been murdered. The police is inquiring."
But for the Congress it is a political opportunity. Congress leader JP Agarwal said, "There is no place for violence in democracy. The BJP should control workers or candidates like this. They should take action."
Elections to the 272 MCD wards will be held on Sunday, April 15. Votes will be counted on Tuesday, April 17.