Ranchi/Jamshedpur, Mar 5 (UNI) Life in Jharkhand was paralysed today by a statewide dawn-to-dusk bandh called by all political parties to protest yesterday's gunning down of JMM general secretary and MP Sunil Mahto by Naxalites.

High alert was sounded in the state immediately after the JMM MP from the Jamshedpur Constituency and another party leader Prabhakar Mahto, along with two bodyguards, were shot dead by CPI (Maoist) activists at Baguria village near naxalite-affected Ghatshila in East Singhbhum district.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal is scheduled to visit the state today to take stock of the situation. The Centre has already sought a report from the state government on the killing.

Chief Minister Madhu Koda this morning called on Governor Syed Sibtey Razi to brief him on the issue.

Mr Koda had rushed to Jamshedpur accompanied by other ministerial collegues, including Stephen Marandi Chandra Paraksh Choudhuri and Bhanu Pratap Shahi.

The bandh was total, official sources from all the districts said, adding only the examinees appearing for the final and other essential services were exempted from the purview of the bandh.

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