Congress rebel Naresh Meena slaps SDM outside polling booth in Rajasthan

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Congress rebel Naresh Meena, who is contesting as an independent from the Deoli-Uniara constituency of Rajasthan, was caught on camera assaulting a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) at a polling booth on November 13.

Meena assaulted SDM Amit Choudhary before police intervened, NDTV reported. The video shared by news agency IANS circulated widely on social media. Moneycontrol couldn't verify its veracity independently.

Tonk, Rajasthan: Independent candidate Naresh Meena slapped SDM Amit Chaudhary during the voting for the Deoli-Uniara by-election pic.twitter.com/ZcUJaqc1Ex
IANS (@ians_india) November 13, 2024

"The SDM posted here used three of his people and made them vote," Meena was quoted as saying by NDTV. "Now the entire police force is here and has surrounded us. I would request people to go out and reply with their votes. Hit them with votes."

The Deoli-Uniara seat fell vacant after Congress leader Harish Chandra Meena was elected to the Lok Sabha in June. The party has fielded Kastor Chand Meena from the assembly bypoll.

Thirty-one assembly seats, including seven in Rajasthan, went to the polls on November 13 along with the byelection for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala from where Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra makes her electoral debut. Her brother, Rahul Gandhi, won the seat in the Lok Sabha election in June but gave it up in favour of Rae Bareli, the other constituency he won from and which was once held up their mother and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

The bypoll results will be declared on November 23 along with those of Jharkhand and Maharashtra assemblies.