IJP candidate found dead, protests held

JAUNPUR (UP): Body of an Indian Justice Party (IJP) candidate from Jaunpur parliamentary constituency was found hanging from a tree near his
IJP candidate found dead residence here today, triggering massive protests in the area.

The body of 35-year-old Vijay Bahadur Sonker was found hanging from a tree in Raja Saheb Ka Pokhra locality this morning, IG Police, Varanasi, Kamal Saxena said.

Family members of the deceased have alleged BSP candidate from Jaunpur Dhananjay Singh's hand in the murder. ASP Jaunpur Dinesh Chander confirmed that the police had got a complaint from Sonker on threat to his life from the BSP candidate.

People in large numbers took to the streets in the city, going to polls in the second phase on April 23, to protest the incident, prompting police to resort to cane charge to contain the mob.

Meanwhile, the BSP accused the SP of killing Sonker and demanded the state government to order a high level probe into the incident.

"Out of desperation, the SP hatched a conspiracy to kill the candidate as the party feared that its candidate will lose the election...We have demanded that the state government order a high-level probe into the incident," senior party leader Babu Singh Kushwaha told reporters in Lucknow.

The rival SP candidate Paras Nath Yadav described Sonker's killing as "the murder of democracy". IJP chief Udit Raj, who arrived in the city, demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.