JAIPUR: A BJP candidate contesting the Baran Municipal Council elections in Rajasthan, her husband and their minor son have gone missing under mysterious circumstances, triggering a political row in the region.
BJP leaders have alleged political foul play by opposition groups, while the Congress has rejected the allegations.
The trio went missing shortly after the first phase of polling on Wednesday. Police have registered a kidnapping case against unidentified persons and launched a search operation, but the family remained untraced till Saturday evening.
According to police, BJP candidate Antima Yadav and her husband Sanjay Yadav, both practising advocates, were present at the Ambedkar Bhavan polling booth in Ward 16 until voting ended at 6 pm on Wednesday.
The couple left the polling station with their son after the voting process but did not return home.
Baran Additional Superintendent of Police Sourabh Tiwari said an FIR was registered on Thursday at Baran City Kotwali police station following a complaint by the family.
“Technical investigation is currently ongoing to trace the missing trio. We are analysing all technical aspects and evidence to conclude the investigation and trace their whereabouts soon,” Tiwari said on Saturday.
The disappearance has led to a political exchange between the BJP and Congress.
Baran BJP district president Naresh Sikarwal alleged that opposition groups could be behind the disappearance, claiming that Yadav had not been in contact with the party organisation.
“If she is missing from us, it is obvious that the rival camp has engineered this disappearance,” Sikarwal claimed, adding that the BJP had a strong position in Ward 16 and was expecting to win.
Congress district general secretary Kailash Jain denied any involvement, saying, “We have nothing to do with the matter.”
“We are only concerned about our seven candidates,” he said.
Police teams are conducting coordinated searches and examining electronic surveillance data and other evidence to trace the missing family, officials said.