Why non-BJP parties vied to get Mukhtar Ansari onboard

The death of gangster-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time former MLA, on Thursday triggered a race among Opposition parties to express anguish over his demise and sympathise with his family.

The leaders of various non-BJP parties took to social media platforms raising doubt over his death and demanded a high-level probe.

Behind this expression of affinity with a dreaded Mafioso who was accused in over 63 criminal cases and had established a reign of terror in east UP was Mukhtar Ansari’s hold on Muslim votes in Ghazipur, Mau, Azamgarh and Varanasi districts.

Muslims account for 20% of voters in the Lok Sabha seats in these districts.

Though Mukhtar is dead, his family’s dominance is likely to continue over Muslim voters in the region.

His brother Afzal Ansari, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Ghazipur on the BSP ticket, is contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election on the Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket.

His son Abbas Ansari won the Mau assembly seat on the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) ticket in 2022 while his nephew Suhaib Ansari is the SP MLA from Mohammadabad in Ghazipur.

Mukhtar death is likely to polarize the voters in East UP constituencies where religion and caste card is played to the hilt.

Allegations and counter-allegation between the ruling BJP and opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) over his death, has already set the tone for a fight for Muslim votes in Lok Sabha constituencies in east UP, where polling will be held in the sixth and seventh phases.

The BJP, too, is likely to cash on the polarisation of votes.

After the killing of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai in 2005, allegedly by the Mukhtar Ansari gang, the BJP supporters had demanded action against the gangster.

“Death of the notorious criminal will provide relief to the people,” BJP leader Sameer Singh said.

The smaller political parties enjoying Muslim support in pockets of East and Central UP, including AIMIM, Rashtriya Ulama Council (RUC) and Peace Party, demanded a probe into his death.

SP chief Akhilesh in a post on X said, “It is the first responsibility and duty of the government to protect someone’s life in every situation and at every place.”

Yadav said, all such doubtful cases should be investigated under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge.

BSP chief Mayawati, in a post on X, said the persistent apprehensions and serious allegations made by Mukhtar Ansari’s family regarding his death in jail require a high-level investigation so that the true facts can be revealed.

“In such a situation, it is natural for his family to be sad. May nature give them the strength to bear this sorrow,” she said.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said the people of Ghazipur lost their favorite son and brother. “Mukhtar had made serious allegations against the administration that he was poisoned. Despite this, the government did not pay any attention to his treatment. It’s condemnable and regrettable,” he said.

Peace Party chief Mohammad Ayub said, Mukhtar Ansari was killed by the power.

Rashtriya Ulama Council, in a post on X, said, “The news of the demise of former MLA Mukhtar Ansari is very regrettable.”

A political observer SK Singh said the political parties vied to get Mukhtar Ansari on board during elections to get his muscle power in return.

Mukhtar played a pivotal role in supporting Mulayam Singh Yadav to win confidence vote in the state assembly in 2003 when the SP formed government after fall of the Mayawati government, he said.

Before the 2009 Lok Sabha election, he joined the BSP to contest Lok Sabha election against former Union minister Murli Manohar Joshi.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, he extended support to the Congress candidate Ajay Rai who was pitted against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha.

Mukhtar was an accused in the murder of Awadesh Rai, the elder brother of Ajay Rai, and awarded life term in this case in 2023.

“He hopped from one party to another with ease and the political parties opened their doors readily. They knew that with Mukhtar on their side they can win one or two seats with ease,” Singh said.