Jaisalmer: A Congress candidate from Ward 8 of Mangta Panchayat Samiti in Barmer allegedly died by suicide Wednesday, a day before polling in the first phase of panchayat elections.The deceased has been identified as Mohan Lal (45), a resident of Alamji Ka Than. His body was found hanging from a tree in his agricultural field under Barmer Sadar police station.Sub-divisional magistrate and returning officer Veeraram Shiv said that Lal’s death would not lead to the postponement of the election process. With his death, two other candidates, Bhabhuta Ram of BJP and Omprakash of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), remain in the contest. The election would be postponed only if a single candidate remained in the fray, he said.Sadar police station SHO Devichand Dhaka said Lal had gone to his field early Wednesday morning where he allegedly died by suicide. When residents spotted his body hanging from a tree, they informed other villagers, following which his family members and the police were alerted.The police brought the body down in the presence of family members and shifted it to the mortuary at Gudamalani Hospital. The police have initiated an investigation to ascertain the circumstances and the reasons behind his death.Dhaka said that preliminary inquiries indicated that Lal had been experiencing mental distress for a considerable period. His elder brother and another relative had also died by suicide in 2007. He was reportedly worried about votes during the election campaign, he said.
Cong candidate dies by suicide a day before polls in Barmer | Jaipur News
