A moment of victory turned into a moment of disaster for an Indian politician.

Supporters of Kripanaath Mallah, 40, had organised a celebration to welcome him home at his constituency in Ratabari, Assam, India.

It was his first visit home after getting elected as the deputy speaker of the Assam Assembly on September 25.

Befitting the occasion, he mounted a decked-up elephant and started the celebration procession.

But startled by the noisy crowd, the elephant turned its back.

Ignoring the instructions of its mahut, who tried to control it desperately, the elephant shook them off and took off.

Officials said both the men were fine and had not suffered any injury.

A local resident Mohammed Aslam, 32, said: “Mallah left Congress to join BJP seeking power. This is god’s punishment.”