Lucknow, April 18
Election Commissioner SY Quraishi today did not rule out the possibility of countermanding election in Jaunpur where the Indian Justice Party candidate, Bahadur Sonkar, was found dead hanging from a tree.

Addressing mediapersons, Quraishi said: “Taking a serious view of the matter, the EC has sent two IAS officers from New Delhi to independently cross check the matter so as to ensure free and fair election.” He said the EC would, after receiving the report from these officers, decide whether there was a valid case for countermanding elections in Jaunpur.

While there is no time frame for the submission of report by the officers, who reached Jaunpur yesterday, Quraishi quipped: “Obviously they would like to finish their work fast and return.”

This is a major embarrassment for the Mayawati government as the EC has virtually overruled the enquiry being conducted by an Additional Director General-level officer, who has been camping in Jaunpur since April 13, the day Sonkar’s body was found.

Earlier, the EC had, after receiving complaints from IJP’s national president Udit Raj in New Delhi, appointed two senior observers to oversee the Jaunpur election. This fresh development today has focused attention on Jaunpur that goes to polls during the second phase on April 23.

Here, the slain IJP candidate Sonkar’s family has filed a named FIR against BSP candidate Dhananjay Singh for the death of Sonkar. According to the complaint through two police personnel, Singh was allegedly putting pressure on Sonkar to withdraw his candidature.

For five days preceding his death, Sonkar had been running from pillar to post furnishing written complaints to the state’s Chief Secretary, DGP, Jaunpur DM and SP, state’s Chief Election Officer AK Bishnoi and the CEC in New Delhi regarding the threats and demanding security.