( CNN ) -- A man in India set himself on fire and then grabbed a politician during a live television debate this week in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh , authorities said . Police said Durgesh Kumar Singh came out of the crowd Monday as India 's state-owned television station Doordarshan recorded the debate at a park in Sultanpur , about 100 miles from the city of Lucknow . He set himself ablaze with gasoline and threw himself on Kamruzzama Fauji , a local politician from the Bahujan Samaj Party . Singh died in the hospital a day later . Fauji is in critical condition with burns over 80 % of his body , police said . `` People were just too shocked to know what was happening , '' local photographer Pankaj Kumar Gupta told reporters . The superintendent of police for Sultanpur district , Pratibha Ambedkar , was preparing for a visit by state Chief Minister , Akhilesh Yadav when she got a call from her office about a man threatening to set himself on fire . `` By the time we reached there , he had already set himself ablaze , '' Ambedkar told CNN . Singh , 35 , had previously worked at a flour mill in Amethi , a neighboring district . His motives have yet to be confirmed , but authorities said the man 's family claims he was being treated for mental instability . `` Before the incident , the man also made a call to the local police control room complaining of harassment from his family , '' said Ambedkar . India is in the midst of its nationwide parliamentary elections , which conclude May 12 . During elections , several news channels often stage shows in villages and towns across the country , engaging politicians with local voters . Voting in Uttar Pradesh , one of the country 's most populous states , began Wednesday morning . INTERACTIVE : The world 's largest democratic event .
A man in India 's Uttar Pradesh state set himself on fire and grabbed a politician . The man died from his burns ; the politician is hospitalized in critical condition . Score: 6