New Delhi: The Bahujan Samaj Party has selected Mukhtar Ansari, the controversial politician accused of an MLA’s murder, as its Lok Sabha candidate for Varanasi.
Ansari, an Independent MLA from Mau in Uttar Pradesh, may be pitted against veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi. Ansari is currently in the Gazipur jail in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in November 2005.
He is a suspect in over two dozen criminal cases including murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, extortion, robbery and land grabbing.
The BSP announced its decision to nominate Ansari at a party rally in Varanasi on Sunday.
His brother Afzal, who represents Gazipur constituency in Lok Sabha, is an accused in the Rai murder case and was released on bail recently. A third brother, Sibgatullah Ansari, is a SP legislator from Muhammadabad constituency in Ghazipur district.
Afzal, who was present at the rally, thanked BSP chief and UP Chief Minister Mayawati for her "gesture". Afzal was recently declared as the BSP's candidate for the Ghazipur parliamentary constituency.
Frowning upon BSP’s decision to field Ansari, Congress spokesperson Abhisek Manu Singhi said his party would not give election tickets to people named in criminal cases.
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