In a potentially risky move, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday welcomed into its ranks criminally-tainted MLA from Purvanchal, Mukhtar Ansari, his brothers Afzal Ansari and Sigbatullah Ansari, and son Abbas.
The Ansaris found shelter in the BSP after being rejected by an image-conscious Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP). They had merged their outfit Quami Ekta Dal (QED) with the SP a few months ago. But as Mr. Akhilesh wrested control over the party, displacing his uncle Shivpal Yadav, who facilitated the merger despite opposition by his nephew, the Muslim leaders from Purvanchal were ignored in ticket distribution. In fact, Mr. Akhilesh even fielded a candidate against Mukhtar.
Mukhtar, who is currently lodged in the Agra jail, will contest on a BSP ticket from his stronghold Mau, while his brother and sitting MLA Mr. Sibgatullah will defend his seat Mohamadabad in Ghazipur. Mr. Abbas, a gold medallist national-level shooter, will make his debut from Ghosi. Except for Mukhtar, the other Ansaris do not have criminal cases against them.
Mr. Afzal is a former MP and was the president of the QED.
BSP chief Mayawati, who welcomed Mr. Sibgatullah, Mr. Abbas and Mr. Afzal at a press conferences in Lucknow, was hard pressed to justify the induction of Mukhtar as the four-time MLA faces two dozen criminal cases, including the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005. Interestingly, in 2010, Ms. Mayawati expelled Mukhtar from the BSP for his alleged criminal activities.
Defending the decision to re-induct Mukhtar, whom she once called the “messiah of the poor,” Ms. Mayawati, who regularly flays the SP for patronising criminal elements, said the charges against him were not yet proven.
"There are bigger goondas in other parties," she said.
Referring to the Krishnanand Rai case, she said Mukhtar was framed in the case under the SP rule and even after a CBI probe, “no concrete evidence has been submitted in court against him till date.”
Though the BSP did not encourage those with criminal antecedent, “if some people want to improve under the BSP umbrella, we will give them a chance.” She termed the Ansaris’ return to the BSP after a stint with the SP an act of “repentance.”
Mr. Afzal, while hailing Ms. Mayawati as the only leader who can defeat communal forces and is focused on development, said his family would teach the SP a lesson for the “insult” meted out to them. “I was told by Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) that Akhilesh ji does not like Muslims. We felt insulted in being with the SP,'' he said.
Not only is the entry of the Ansaris another outreach to Muslims, sending the BSP’s total number of candidates to a record 100 in the 403-member Assembly, Ms. Mayawati hopes to reap benefit from their clout in pockets of Purvanchal-Ghazipur, Mau, Ballia and Varanasi.
Often projected as a don-turned-politician, Mukhtar is a local ‘Robin Hood’ for his supporters. He faces several criminal cases, including four for murder, four for attempt to murder, five cases of criminal intimidation and three of rioting. A four-time MLA his first victory came in 1996 on a BSP ticket, before winning as an independent twice, in 2002 and 2007.
In 2009, he returned to the BSP and unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi against BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi in a close battle. After being expelled from the BSP again in 2010, he formed the QED with his brothers.
In the 2012 elections, the QED secured two seats, and a total of 4.17 lakh votes (0.55 per cent) contesting on 43 seats. In 2014, he had announced he would contest against Narendra Modi from Varanasi, but eventually backed out to prevent a division of secular votes, with the QED then extending support to the Congress candidate Ajay Rai.
Mr. Afzal Ansari won the Lok Sabha elections from Ghazipur on a SP ticket in 2004 before losing with the BSP in 2009.
Ms. Mayawati clarified that she would not welcome other criminally tainted leaders like Ateeq Ahmed, Brij Bushan Sharan Singh, D.P. Yadav, Ramakant Yadav, Umakant Yadav, Raguraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, and others.
