SP, BSP accuse each other of killing Jaunpur candidate

Accusing the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate from Jaunpur of murdering his rival from the Indian Justice Party, the Samajwadi Party on Monday demanded his immediate arrest and termed the killing as a conspiracy by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

"The IJP candidate Bahadur Sonker had written letters to the district magistrate and also held a press conference in Jaunpur apprehending his murder by BSP nominee (Dhananjay Singh). The murder is a conspiracy by Chief Minister Mayawati. We demand immediate arrest of its candidate," party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said.

He added that the Election Commission should take the matter seriously to ensure free and fair polls. When asked about BSP leader Babu Singh Khushwaha's allegation that the murder was the outcome of SP's conspiracy, Yadav refused to comment.

He, however, said that if the BSP government feels that SP was in any way involved in the incident, they should take appropriate action.

"The police and administration are theirs. Why don't they take action," Yadav said.

Alleging that Mayawati has given the go ahead to her partymen to win the Lok Sabha polls by hook or by crook, Yadav said that government officials were being misused by the BSP government for this purpose.