Bhubaneswar, May 16 (Inditop) A candidate accused of involvement in last year’s anti-Christian riots in Orissa has won the assembly elections, official said.
Manoj Pradhan, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, won from the Udayagiri constituency in Kandhamal district.
Kandhamal, about 200 km from the state capital, witnessed widespread communal violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23 last year.
At least 38 people, mostly Christians, were killed and more than 25,000 forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs. At least 3,000 people are still living in government relief camps.
Pradhan was arrested four months ago and is still in jail.