Former MP and Congress strongman Rajo Singh was today gunned down by three motorcycle-borne assailants outside the Congress party office in Sheikhpura town of north Bihar. This is the first major political murder after the announcement of poll dates in the state.The assailants shot him from behind when Singh was sitting on a chair outside the office after a party meeting at 7 pm. Tension gripped the district headquarters after the news of Singh’s murder as his supporters took to the streets. State Director General of Police Asish Ranjan Sinha said the situation is under control and a manhunt has been launched to arrest the culprits.Singh’s murder, considered to be a strong leader from the upper caste landowning Bhumihar community, was said to be the result of political enmity in view of the upcoming Assembly elections. Sheikhpura is regarded as a fiefdom of Rajo Singh family. It was only due to his influence that a small place like Sheikhpura was carved out into a district. He had represented Sheikhpura Assembly constituency six times (1972-89) and was also a minister in the previous Congress government. His daughter-in-law Sunila Devi had won the last February election on a Congress ticket. He was denied ticket by the Congress in the 2004 general election because of his involvement in the fodder scam. He was also jailed in the scam. His son, Sanjay Kumar Singh, a former minister in the Rabri Devi Cabinet, is currently in jail on charges of masterminding the murder of nine RJD workers in Sheikhpura. Rajo Singh was also an accused in the case.60,000 paramilitary personnel for pollsNew Delhi: The Election Commission has decided to deploy around 60,000 central paramilitary personnel during four-phased Bihar Assembly elections.It has also decided o use joint air and land patrolling with adjacent Jharkhand to neutralise the Naxal threat. After a meeting with CEC B,B. Tandon and the other two ECs, Bihar Chief Secretary G. S. Kang said joint patrolling was decided upon largely to tackle Naxalites. “The two states could also go in for air patrolling, if needed, for effective checking of the Naxal problems,” Kang said. The meeting was attended also by the DGPs of Bihar and Jharkhand for effective coordination in the run-up to the elections. — PTI
