Jaunpur: EC keeps options open

The Election Commission has kept its options open on countermanding the election in Jaunpur constituency in the wake of the death of IJP candidate Bahadur Sonekar. The EC would decide on the issue after getting the report of a two-member team it has sent to Jaunpur to look into the matter,Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said here on Saturday.

Sonekar was found hanging from a tree on April 13. A few days before his death,he had sent a complaint to the district magistrate,alleging threat to his life from the local police circle officer and a sub-inspector,both of whom were allegedly putting pressure on him to withdraw in favour of BSP candidate Dhananjay Singh.

Quraishi,who was here to review the preparations in 17 constituencies that would go to polls in the second phase on April 23,said the EC had taken the Jaunpur incident very seriously. To a question,he said the officers who had been tasked to investigate the matter in Jaunpur were from outside the state.

Regarding Mayawati8217;s suggestion to the EC to give opportunity to her to take corrective measures in case of complaints against any officer,Quraishi said the EC gets little time to discuss such issues and,therefore,it uses its independent judgement.