Akhilesh Yadav fields gangster Mukthar Ansari's brother from Ghazipur

In the second list of 11 candidates announced by the Samajwadi Party on Monday for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh Yadav has fielded Afzal Ansari, brother of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, from Ghazipur.

Afzal, who has been convicted of murder and kidnapping, had his membership in the Lok Sabha suspended in May last year. However, the Supreme Court conditionally lifted his suspension.

A special court in Ghazipur had in April 2023 convicted the Ansari brothers in a 2007 Gangsters Act case. Afzal Ansari was sentenced to four years in jail, while Mukhtar was imprisoned for 10 years.

The Supreme Court had in December 2023 conditionally suspended Ansari's conviction in a 2007 Gangsters Act case, saying his constituency will be deprived of its legitimate representation in the legislature since a by-election may not be held given the remaining tenure of the current Lok Sabha.

The other candidates announced by the party are Harendra Malik (Muzaffarnagar), Neeraj Maurya (Aonla), Rajesh Kashyap (Shahjahanpur-SC), Usha Verma (Hardoi-SC), RK Chaudhary (Mohanlalganj-SC), SP Singh Patel (Pratapgarh), Ramesh Gautam (Bahraich-SC), Shreya Verma (Gonda), Virendra Singh (Chandauli) and Rampal Rajvanshi (Misrikh-SC).

Of the 11, four hail from the backward community, five from the Scheduled Caste category, Virendra Singh is a Thakur, while Afzal Ansari is a Muslim.

The Samajwadi Party has been facing flak from party leaders and alliance partners over not giving tickets to the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) candidates for the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections.

For Rajya Sabha, voting for which will take place on February 27, the SP has fielded two Kayasthas -- cinestar Jaya Bachhan and former UP Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan and a Dalit Ramji Lal Suman.

Asked if its list for LS polls is a damage control exercise, SP spokesperson Rajpal Kashyap told PTI, "This list has all the elements of the 'PDA' embedded in it. And this is not a damage control exercise." He added, "The party's earlier list also had all the elements of PDA. Now, those who are raising questions, they have some vested interests." The SP on Monday offered 17 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, with the condition that its chief, Akhilesh Yadav, would join the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Raebareli only if the proposal is accepted.

(With PTI inputs)

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