Rajasthan: Independent Candidate Naresh Meena Slapped SDM

In a shocking incident at a Rajasthan polling booth, Naresh Meena, an independent candidate from the Deoli-Uniara constituency, was captured on video slapping a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Amit Chaudhary. The incident took place when the area magistrate Chaudhary was conducting election duty.

The incident took place at Samravata polling station todaay. The video shows Meena walking into the polling booth, slapping SDM Amit Choudhary who was on duty to oversee election protocol - before being restrained by police. 

Naresh Meena, a former Congress leader, was recently suspended by the party for contesting as an independent after it nominated Kastoor Chand Meena over him for the Deoli-Uniara by-election. Backed by the Bharat Adivasi Party, Naresh Meena's decision to run independently stirred concerns over potential vote splits in the by-polls. 

"The SDM posted here used three of his people and made them vote," Meena alleged. "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." 

District Election Officer and Tonk Collector Saumya Jha said that the villagers of Samravta, part of Nagar Fort Tehsil, had announced a boycott of the election. Meena had supported the villagers’ boycott call. When SDM Chaudhary visited Samravta to persuade the residents to participate in the election, Meena allegedly attacked him, Jha noted.

The by-election for the Deoli-Uniara seat was necessitated after Congress leader Harish Chandra Meena, who won the seat in 2018 and 2023, vacated it to serve in the Lok Sabha following the general election. 

Voting for seven assembly seats across Rajasthan, including Deoli-Uniara, began early today under tight security, with over 9,000 personnel deployed across 1,914 polling stations. In total, 69 candidates are competing in this high-stakes election, and results are expected on November 23.