HAJIPUR: A youth leader of Bihar Congress Rakesh Yadav was gunned down by two unidentified assailants here on Saturday in Vaishali district.
The murder sent a shockwave across the city as the deceased was popular among the people due to his social service and accessibility.
The 35-year-old was also one of the members of state election campaign committee of Bihar Pradesh Congress party and was considered to be close to Rahul Gandhi.
The incident took place in the morning when the party was scheduled to take out a protest march in Patna against the NRC, NPR and the CAA.
According to police sources, Yadav had come to a gym on Hajipur's cinema road around 6 am when some criminals shot him in his head and chest from a point-blank range.
The accused were on a motorbike and covered their head with helmets.
ASP Hajipur Raghav Dayal reached the spot and said that investigation has started and the police are trying to obtain footages from private CCTVs.
Yadav was brought to Hajipur Sadar hospital where doctors declared him dead.
"Rakesh Yadav was vocal against the unprecedented rise of crimes in the district and has always been raising voice against criminals," said Satyendra Yadav, a close friend of deceased.
Suspecting the murder to be a political conspiracy, he alleged that the deceased was one of the influential candidates of the party for the Hajipur assembly seat, which will go to polls in 2020.
The Congress leader was also set to participate in the 'Desh Bachao Samvidhan Bacho' protest march in Patna at 11 am.