A Congress candidate in Rajasthan's Barmer district was found dead on Wednesday, a day before polling in the first phase of the panchayat elections, The Times of India reported. The candidate, Mohan Lal, 45, a resident of Alamji Ka Than, was contesting from Ward 8 of Mangta Panchayat Samiti.

Source: The Times of India (Jaipur News)

SDNA, in a separate report, also said the Congress candidate from Ward 8 of Mangta Panchayat Samiti was found dead in his agricultural field a day before polling, and that the death is being treated as a suspected suicide, with the circumstances not yet conclusively established.

Source: SDNA

According to The Times of India, Lal had gone to his field early on Wednesday morning. Residents who spotted him informed villagers, after which his family members and the police were alerted. Barmer Sadar police station SHO Devichand Dhaka said police shifted the body, in the presence of family members, to the mortuary at Gudamalani Hospital and have begun an investigation to ascertain the circumstances and reasons behind the death.

Sub-divisional magistrate and Returning Officer Veeraram Shiv said Lal's death would not lead to postponement of the election process. With his death, two other candidates — Bhabhuta Ram of the BJP and Omprakash of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) — remain in the contest, and the election would be postponed only if a single candidate remained in the fray, he said, according to The Times of India.

SHO Dhaka said preliminary inquiries indicated Lal had been experiencing mental distress for a considerable period and was reportedly worried about votes during the election campaign, The Times of India reported. Police said the investigation is continuing, and no conclusion on the reasons for the death has been announced.