A BJP leader was brutally killed allegedly by bike-borne men in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh on Saturday. The attackers first shot at Samrath Kumawat and then chopped off his neck with a sword, the police said.

The murder took place in a village just four kilometers from the town of Pratapgarh in southern Rajasthan.

According to police, Kumawat was standing on the roadside when three to four men attacked him.

The BJP leader died on the spot as the attackers fled the scene. Locals soon started to gather at the crime scene and demanded action against the culprits. They sat in protest with Kumawat's body and demanded the arrest of the attackers at the earliest.

Kumawat's family said had no enmity with anyone and expressed shock at the incident.

He was an active member of the BJP. Mangu Singh, a local BJP leader, said Kumavat was a senior leader of the BJP in the village.

With the incident taking place just before the elections, the ruling BJP has also demanded action. Police have assured that action will be taken soon and that the attackers will be arrested.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot condemned the murder.

"I condemn the brutal killing of BJP's Sh. Samrath Kumawat in #Pratapgarh, #Rajasthan. Perpetrators of such heinous crime must be severely punished. Pathetic condition of Law n order in state is a matter of grave concern," he tweeted.

Voting in Rajasthan Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on December 7. The state Assembly has 200 seats. BJP government under Vasundhara Raje is currently in power.