Patna, Oct 31 : The ongoing Bihar Assembly elections took a violent turn with the alleged murder in Mokama, which has now snowballed into a major political controversy.

The killing of strongman Dularchand Yadav and subsequent attacks on political convoys have heightened tensions in the region, drawing sharp reactions from political leaders.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, on Friday, condemned the violence and questioned the Election Commission (EC) and the administration over their handling of the situation.

Without naming anyone directly, Tejashwi targeted JD-U candidate Anant Singh, known for his influence in the Mokama area.

"There should be no place for violence in a democracy," the RJD leader said, "How can a convoy of 40 vehicles with weapons move freely during elections without being stopped? What are the Election Commission and the administration doing? Criminals are being protected while democracy is being mocked. The EC should take suo motu cognisance and act immediately."

According to the police, the incident occurred on Thursday near Khushhal Chak in Mokama when Jan Suraaj Party candidate Piyush Priyadarshi alias Lallu Mukhiya was campaigning with his supporters.

Strongman Dularchand Yadav, who was once associated with the RJD, was accompanying him.

At the same time, JD-U candidate Anant Singh and his supporters were passing through the same route.

A heated argument broke out between the two groups, which soon escalated into stone pelting and violence.

During the clash, Dularchand Yadav was killed.

Police have registered an FIR naming five people, including Anant Singh and his two nephews, Ranveer Singh and Karmveer Singh, for murder.

No arrests have been made yet.

Following the incident, tensions ran high in Mokama, and on Friday, violence erupted again when the convoy of RJD candidate Veena Devi, wife of former MP Surajbhan Singh, was attacked with stones while she was campaigning in the Pandarak area.

According to eyewitnesses, unidentified assailants surrounded her convoy and began pelting stones, damaging vehicles and injuring one person.

Panic spread in the area as locals fled for safety.

Police rushed to the spot to control the situation.

The administration has since tightened security across Mokama and surrounding regions, deploying additional police forces and increasing surveillance.

Political observers say the Mokama violence has become a flashpoint in an already heated election, with parties trading accusations of criminalisation and misuse of power.

The Election Commission is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

/IANS