Former Maharashtra home minister and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Anil Deshmukh was seriously injured after stones were hurled at his car in Nagpur district on Monday night, the police said.
The incident occurred around 8 pm when Deshmukh was returning to Katol after attending a meeting in Narkhed village.
Some unidentified persons threw stones at Deshmukh's car near Belphata on the Jalalkheda Road near Katol.
Deshmukh, who sustained injuries during the attack, was immediately rushed to the Katol Civil Hospital, police said.
Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police, Harssh Poddar, confirmed the incident. He said senior officers were rushed to the spot.
"An investigation has begun. The police are trying to identify those responsible for the attack," he said.
The incident occurred on the last day of campaigning for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections.
Condemning the incident, NCP-SP spokesperson Vedprakash Arya sought a high-level inquiry and police protection for the former family's minister.
"Some people attacked Anil Deshmukh's car in Belfata Bhishnur in Katol, wherein Deshmukh received serious head injury. His treatment started in Katol but due to serious injury he is shifted to Nagpur for treatment," Arya said in a statement.
The Opposition is staring at a crushing defeat and, therefore, resorted to such a cowardly attack, he claimed.
Deshmukh's son Salil Deshmukh is contesting from the Katol assembly constituency on the NCP-SP ticket against Bharatiya Janata Party's Charansingh Thakur.
