Mukhtar Ansari, a former MLA politician in Uttar Pradesh, passed away in jail due to a heart attack. He was 63 years old and had been elected as an MLA from Mau constituency five times. Ansari belonged to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and was related to former Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari.
He was convicted for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and sentenced to 10 years in prison in April 2023. Additionally, he received a life sentence on March 13, 2024, for a fake arms license case.
Mukhtar Ansari, a prominent figure in Uttar Pradesh’s politics, passed away recently. He was known for his strong political background; his grandfather Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari was a Congress president, and his maternal grandfather Mohammad Usman was an Indian Army Brigadier.
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Ansari’s entry into politics began in 1995 when he joined the student union at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He became an MLA for the first time in 1996.
One of his notable rivalries was with Brijesh Singh, a powerful figure in the Poorvanchal region. In 2002, there was an incident where Ansari’s convoy was attacked, resulting in casualties on both sides.
The rivalry continued, with Singh supporting BJP leader Krishnanand Rai, who defeated Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari in the 2002 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
In 2007, Ansari and Afzal joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Despite being in jail, Ansari contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi but lost to BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi.
Throughout his political career, Ansari faced challenges and controversies but remained a significant figure in Uttar Pradesh politics.
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After being expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in 2010 due to their alleged involvement in criminal activities, Mukhtar Ansari and his brother formed their own party called Quami Ekta Dal (QED). In 2014, Mukhtar Ansari contested the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi but lost.
In 2016, Ansari reunited with the BSP just before the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He successfully won the Mau assembly seat as a BSP candidate in 2017. This journey reflects his ups and downs in the political arena, including facing challenges and making strategic decisions along the way.
inna lillahi wa inallah-e-raji’oon