An FIR was lodged today against RJD’s Gopalgunj MP and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s brother-in-law Sadhu Yadav for allegedly assaulting the husband of a candidate for the post of chief of a Block Development Committee in Goplagunj district.According to reports, the RJD MP went to the house of the candidate and asked her husband Dinesh Chandra Shah to get wife’s candidature withdrawn, as Kunti Devi, the wife of Lalu’s elder brother Gulab Rai, was also in the fray. When Shah refused to oblige, the RJD MP and his security guards allegedly assaulted him. The candidates are vying for the Phulwaria Block Development Committee chief’s post and Dinesh Shah is also an RJD man. Phulwaria happens to be the native village of Lalu.The news reached Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while he was holding his ‘‘janta darbar’’ in the morning. He immediately summoned Director General of Police A R Sinha and urged him to take strict action. Thereafter, the DGP asked Gopalgunj DM Murlidhar Rai to lodge an FIR against Sadhu. As the victims refrained from lodging a complaint, the FIR was lodged by the Block Development Officer acting as the executive magistrate for the poll supposed to have been held today. ‘‘Law will take its course no matter who is involved,’’ said the chief minister.Following the incident, the election was postponed and the district administration directed the RJD MP to leave the district. ‘‘The MP has been externed from the district limits till the election process is completed,’’ said the Gopalgunj district magistrate.The ongoing election for the panchayat body heads have turned into a prestige issue for MPs, MLAs and ministers, who want their men to capture important positions. Recently, a BJP minister and a JD(U) MLA clashed in Chhapra in favour of their candidates for the district board chief’s post. As a precautionary measure, the state election commission has ordered all such leaders to remain out of the limits of their districts till the election process is complete. The list includes RJD’s Union Minister M A Fatmi and JD(U) MP Prabhunath Singh.
