Bhubaneswar, Apr 14:

Two young Congress supporters were badly injured and four bikes damaged near the Veer Surendra Sai Youth Club in VSS Nagar under the Saheed Nagar police limits following an attack by unidentified bike-borne miscreants on  Monday evening.

Though the actual reason behind the attack is still being investigated, the police suspect political rivalry to be the main cause of the attack.

According to one of the victims Manas Nayak, who has sustained serious cut injuries in his head and hands, some unknown persons followed him on their bikes as he and his friend Lipu  were busy campaigning for the Congress in the VSS Nagar area along with other party workers.

" We moved away from the campaign team and stopped by a shop near the VSS club to have some 'panaa' to celebrate the Pana Sankranti . All of a sudden seven to eight people came with swords and sticks and attacked us and we do not know why," said Nayak, who is in Sparsh hospital for treatment.

The miscreants also ransacked the VSS club and damaged four bikes parked there.

The local police, alerted by local people, reached the spot and rushed the two injured persons to the Sparsh hospital for treatment. 

Nayak's family has lodged an FIR with the Saheed Nagar police station .

The police are trying to identify and nab the assailants, a senior police official told OST.