Two senior Congress leaders of Chhattisgarh – Mahendra Karma and Udai Mudliar – were shot dead by Naxalites during a parivartan yatra in Bastar on Saturday evening. Former union minister VC Shukla was seriously injured while Nand Kumar Patel, a former state home minister in the Congress government, and his son are missing till reports last came in.

Karma was a former state minister and also a leader of opposition in 2004.

The Congress leaders were travelling in Bastar as part of the parivartan yatra launched by the party against the ruling BJP government. According to police reports, a group of Naxals gheroed the party and opened fire while they were returning from Sukuma to Bastar.
Confirming that the attack was the handiwork of Naxals, Dantewara collector KC Deva Senapathi said Patel is missing and they are awaiting official confirmation of Mahendra Karma's death.

State Congress spokesman Shailesh Nitin Trivedi has meanwhile blamed the Raman Singh government for not providing adequate security for the Congress team.

Chhattisgarh is among the four states scheduled to go for assembly elections later this year. The state assembly completes its tenure on January 4, 2014.