These are still early day for the grime and dust of Lok Sabha electoral battle, yet the strongmen of Uttar Pradesh political firmament are ready to sweat it out on the ground.
These bahubalis (musclemen or strongmen) are not, in the least, deterred by multiple criminal cases registered against them in trying their luck for a ticket to the Parliament.
These strongmen, some frequently referred to as mafia-turned-politician as well, have cases of heinous crimes, including murder, loot, rioting, etc, filed against them. Some are already incarcerated as under-trials, while others are fighting court cases.
Prominent in electoral fray or likely to fight forthcoming general election, include Atiq Ahmad, Rizwan Zaheer, Mukhtar Ansari, Ramakant Yadav, D P Yadav, Mitrasen Yadav, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Jitendra Singh Bablu and Munna Bajrangi.
Atiq, who is an accused in the murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator Raju Pal in 2005, has been fielded by ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) from Shravasti constituency. He is currently out on bail.
Pitted against him is another strongman Rizwan Zaheer as Peace Party candidate. He has earlier been in both BSP and SP.
Mukhtar Ansari, who is facing charges in the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Krishnanand Rai, is likely to fight from Varanasi as Quami Ekta Dal (QED) candidate. He had lost to BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll by a thin margin.
Sitting BJP MP and a local strongman Ramakant Yadav is contesting from Azamgarh. However, SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav is also in fray now, which is seen as a counterweight to BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi’s rising popularity in eastern UP (Purvanchal).
SP has given ticket to strongman, Mitrasen Yadav from Faizabad and BSP has nominated Jitendra Singh. Majority of these strongmen have over the years gained legislative experience through membership of either the state Assembly or Parliament.
