LATUR: Police have registered two cases against a Congress candidate for allegedly assaulting and threatening BJP functionaries during campaigning for the upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra's Latur district, officials said.
A case has also been registered against a BJP candidate and two functionaries for allegedly trying to offer money to a farmer to vote for the saffron party, they said.
Elections to 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Latur, are scheduled on January 15.
BJP's city district general secretary Sanjay Vasant Gir alleged that while he was going to join a party rally here on Sunday, Congress candidate from ward 18, Sundar Patil Kavhekar, and his supporters stopped him, accused him of distributing money to voters, and assaulted him.
Gir also claimed that his shirt was torn during the scuffle and he was threatened with death, a police official said on Monday.
Another BJP worker also alleged that Kavhekar and his supporters pushed him and attempted to coerce him into campaigning for the Congress by offering Rs 25,000.
Based on their complaints, the Gandhi Chowk police on Sunday registered two cases against Kavhekar under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections for assault, criminal intimidation, undue influence at elections, and bribery, the official said.
A local farmer also alleged that Gir tried to lure him with Rs 5,000 to vote for BJP candidate Aditi Patil, contesting from ward 18.
Following his complaint, the police on Sunday registered a case against Gir, Patil and another BJP functionary under various BNS sections, including bribery and undue influence or personation at an election, the official added.