NAGPUR, Jan. 8 -- Maharashtra Congress vice president Hidayatullah Patel, who was stabbed near a mosque in Akot town in Akola district on Tuesday, succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning while undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The killing comes amid a series of attacks on political figures in Maharashtra during the ongoing local body elections, raising concerns over political violence. According to the police, the 66-year-old Patel was attacked around 2 pm on Tuesday, shortly after offering namaaz at the Jama Masjid in Akot. The assailant allegedly used a sharp weapon to stab him multiple times in the neck and abdomen. The attack is believed to have stemmed from an old enmity and political rivalry, police said. Despite being critically injured, Patel managed to walk out of the mosque before collapsing outside, triggering panic in the locality. Local residents immediately rushed him to a private hospital in Akot, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to a hospital in Akola city for advanced treatment. During treatment, Patel reportedly suffered a minor heart attack and passed away early Wednesday morning, a police officer said. The accused, identified as Ubed Khan Kalu Khan alias Razik Khan Patel, 25, was arrested on Tuesday evening from Panaj village in Akot taluka. Akola Superintendent of Police Archit Chandak said preliminary investigations indicated that the murder was the result of an old dispute and political rivalry. The accused, who belongs to the same community and is a local Congress leader, was identified through CCTV footage captured near the crime scene. During initial interrogation, Ubed allegedly told the police that Patel was responsible for the murder of his uncle, Mateen Patel, in 2019 and had also hindered his family's progress, leading to long-standing animosity between the two families. Police said the accused fled into a nearby forest after the attack, prompting a large-scale manhunt involving nearly 40 personnel. A case has been registered by the Akot rural police, and further investigation is underway....