Sonia’s election agent shot at, MLA named

Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s election incharge in Amawan block in the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency, Rudra Pratap Singh, w...

Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s election incharge in Amawan block in the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency, Rudra Pratap Singh, was shot at allegedly by local MLA Akhilesh Kumar Singh’s men last night.

Singh and three of his men have been named in the FIR lodged in the case at the Kotwali police station. The MLA, who was in the state capital on Wednesday, denied his hand in the incident, that reportedly happened at around 10 pm last night when Rudra Pratap and his brother Krishna Pratap were on their way home.

While Rudra Pratap escaped unhurt, Krishna was shot in the jaw and has been referred to SGPGIMS, Lucknow.

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Singh and the Congress had a running battle in the recent Lok Sabha election in Rae Bareli, particularly the Amawan block.

Singh had been expelled from the Congress last year and his brother Ashok Kumar Singh contested as the Samajwadi Party candidate against Sonia from the seat. During the run-up to the polls, Singh was accused of intimidating Congress workers in Amawan.

Priyanka Vadra had met the Election Commission to complain of the ‘‘intimidatory tactics’’ being employed by the local MLA and his supporters. It was on the basis of this complaint that the EC despatched a special observer to the parliamentary constituency.

Later, Priyanka had made it a point to be present in Amawan at the time of polling.

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Today, Sonia despatched Union Minister of State for Home Shri Prakash Jaiswal to Lucknow following reports of the attack. Jaiswal first visited Krishna Pratap at SGPGIMS and later went to Rae Bareli.

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