http://www.kalingatimes.co m/odisha_news/news2009/200 90517_Kandhamal_riot_accus ed_wins_poll_as_BJP_bites_ dust.htm Kandhamal riot accused wins poll as BJP bites dust Kalinga Times Correspondent Bhubaneswar, May 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party has been badly defeated in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha. It failed to win even in of the 21 Parliamentary seats in the state. But six of its candidates have got elected to the Assembly. The party's winners of the Assembly polls include Manoj Pradhan, one of the main accused in the cases relating to last year's communal violence in Kandhamal district. Pradhan has emerged winner from G. Udayagiri seat in Kandhamal district. He fought the election from behind the bars and defeated his rivals from Congress and Biju Janata Dal in a triangular fight. BJP also won the Baliguda Assembly seat in Kandhamal district. Sitting legislator Karendra Majhi won the seat in a similar triangular contest. In Phulbani, the third Assembly seat in Kandhamal, BJD nominee Dedendra Kanhar won the polls. More than 40 persons were killed when communal violence continued in Kandhamal district for several weeks in the aftermath of the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda. More than 25000 Christian families had fled their homes to escape death at the hands of the communal forces. BJP suffered a big loss in both the polls wit many of senior leaders losing the battle. They include Biswabhushan Harichandan, Jual Oram, Kharavel Swain, Manmohan Samal and Samir Dey.
