Lucknow: An election candidate in Jaunpur was found hanging from a tree on Monday. Now, finger of suspicion is being pointed towards his opponent BSP candidate.
The post-mortem on the candidate, from a small party in UP (Indian Justice Party), reveals that he was severely beaten before being hanged to death from a tree.
Questions loom over the death of the independent candidate but so far nobody has been arrested.
It has become a big issue in the state, and Mayawati's party candidate is under suspicion.
Sources have told NDTV that 35-year-old Bahadur Sonkar was hit three times on his head before he was killed by being hanged.
The ruling BSP's candidate is a suspect because Sonkar's party, the Indian Justice Party vied for the same, primary vote bank - Dalits.
And the police are a suspect too, because of this.
Sonkar in his own words said two days before his murder.
"The chowki incharge Sanjay Rai called me in his room and offered me bounty to withdraw my candidature," said Bahadur Sonkar, candidate, Indian Justice Party on April 11, 2009.
"It's a conspiracy by the state administration. A jeep arrived and took him away," said Rita, Sister-in-law, Bahadur Sonkar.
The murder has become a big political issue in India's largest state.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also jumped in and blamed BSP for the alleged murder.
"The murder was committed by BSP men," said Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief.