Congress rebel Naresh Meena slaps SDM outside polling booth in Rajasthan

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. Meena, who was suspended by the opposition Congress for contesting elections as an independent after being denied a ticket, alleged the SDM made three of his people vote according to his wishes. He also alleged that the electronic voting machine was displaying his symbol incorrectly.

"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.