Chhota Udepur, Sep 21 (IANS): Kuldeep Rathwa, the nephew of former MP Ramsinh Rathwa, was shot and killed during a scuffle related to the Gram Panchayat elections in Pipladi village in Gujarat on Saturday.

The incident occurred when two individuals allegedly opened fire, resulting in Kuldeep’s death.

Reports said that Kuldeep Rathwa had previously defeated one of the accused, Shankar Rathwa, twice in the Panchayat elections, leading to threats against his life.

Shankar Rathwa, a former serviceman, allegedly shot Kuldeep on September 20th night before fleeing the scene with Amla on a two-wheeler.

Shankar has since been arrested, and authorities are actively working to apprehend the second accused Amla. For the past five days, he had been threatening to kill Rathwa.

The hostility between the two reportedly dated back to a local village Sarpanch election a few years ago, in which Kuldeep’s faction emerged victorious. This loss fueled a deep-seated grudge, which ultimately led to the fatal confrontation.

Following the shooting, both accused fled the scene. The police arrested the main suspect, Shankar Rathwa, while the search for Amla Rathwa continued. Authorities have intensified their investigation and reassured the public that the second accused will be apprehended soon.

The police have registered a case of murder against Shankar and Amla Rathwa at Kawant police station, with investigations currently underway.

Kuldeep Rathwa, the victim, was the son of the younger brother of Ramsinh Rathwa, a former BJP MP from Chhota Udepur and the Chairman of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation of India.

According to the police, the incident occurred around 10 PM in Pipladi village, Kawant taluka. Shankar, along with his accomplice Amla Rathwa, allegedly opened fire on Kuldeep at his residence.

Kuldeep, who was politically active in the area, had long been considered an archrival of Shankar, the matter is under investigation.