Maharashta polls: Swabhimani Paksha candidate shot at, beaten; car set ablaze

Nagpur: Three motocycle-borne masked men fired at a candidate of pro-farmer outfit Swabhimani Paksha on Monday when he was going in a car, and also beat him up after pulling him out of the vehicle in Maharashtra's Amravati district, police said.

The attackers later set the car ablaze, Shendurjana Ghat police station's inspector Maruti Gedam said.

The incident took place on Malkhed road in Amravati, located around 150 km from here, he said.

Devendra Bhuyar, the nominee of Raju Shetti's Swabhimani Paksha from Morshi seat, was going to Warud in a car along with some workers of the outfit when the three masked persons fired at him around 5:30 AM, Gedam said.

The attackers later forcefully stopped the vehicle, pulled out its occupants and thrashed them, he said.

They then poured petrol on Bhuyar's vehicle and set it afire before running away, the official said.

Bhuyar was taken to a hospital where his condition was reported to be normal, he said.

Bhuyar, whose outfit is an ally of the Congress and NCP, is contesting the state Assembly polls against BJP minister Anil Bonde from Morshi seat.