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At least seven newly-elected MPs in Uttar Pradesh are facing serious criminal charges that could result in prison sentences exceeding two years, potentially jeopardising their parliamentary memberships.
Among these MPs, five are from the Samajwadi Party (SP), one from Congress, while one is Chandrashekhar Azad, founder of the Azad Samaj Party, who won the Nagina seat.
The charges against these MPs include money laundering, intimidation, and violations of the Gangster Act, all of which carry significant jail terms.
SP leaders at risk of losing their seats
Afzal Ansari, a leader of the Samajwadi Party and representative of Ghazipur, received a four-year sentence under the Gangster Act due to his involvement in the 2005 murder of BJP MLA Krishna Nand Rai.
Initially, Ansari was disqualified from his MP position following a special court decision on April 29, 2023. Despite the Allahabad High Court granting him bail on July 24, 2023, his conviction remained intact. His parliamentary membership was eventually restored when the Supreme Court stayed his conviction, enabling him to participate in the Lok Sabha election.
Another SP leader Babu Singh Kushwaha, who ended a decade-long political hiatus by winning the Jaunpur seat, faces multiple charges related to the Rs 1,000 crore NRHM scam during the Mayawati regime.
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He has been formally charged in eight out of 25 cases, which include accusations of cheating, forgery, and making illegal election-related payments. Notably, he was inducted into the BJP a few years ago but was later expelled due to objections from party leaders regarding the corruption charges against him.
SP leader Dharmendra Yadav, cousin of Akhilesh Yadav, who won the Azamgarh seat, has four pending cases. The charges against him include illegal payments in connection with an election and mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house.
Rambhual Nishad, who defeated BJP’s Maneka Gandhi to win the Sultanpur seat for the INDIA bloc ally Samajwadi Party, has eight cases against him, including one under the Gangster Act. Charges include voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and attempt to murder.
Virendra Singh, who emerged victorious over former minister Mahendra Nath Pandey in Chandauli, has numerous criminal allegations against him that could put his Lok Sabha seat in jeopardy. Among these are charges of cheating, dishonestly inducing property delivery, and criminal intimidation.
Imran Masood of Congress, the winner of the Saharanpur seat, is in the middle of eight legal cases, including one for money laundering, with charges formally framed in two instances. His controversial ‘tukde-tukde’ remark during the 2014 election, in which he threatened to kill Modi, attracted significant media attention.
Chandrashekhar Azad, who secured the reserved Nagina seat, is confronted with over 30 legal cases. A conviction carrying a sentence of more than two years could have serious repercussions on his political future.
Serious cases against NDA ministers
Meanwhile, twenty-eight ministers in the third Narendra Modi government have criminal cases against them, with 19 facing serious charges such as attempted murder, crimes against women, and hate speech, according to the poll rights body Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Among the ministers facing the most serious accusations, Shantanu Thakur, minister of state for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, and Sukanta Majumdar, minister of state for Education and Development of the North Eastern Region, both have declared cases involving attempted murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code.
The ADR report also noted that five ministers have cases related to crimes against women.
They include Thakur and Majumdar; Bandi Sanjay Kumar, minister of state for Home; Suresh Gopi, minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism; and Jual Oram, Tribal Affairs Minister.
Historically, many political leaders, such as Azam Khan, his son Abdullah Azam, Khabbu Tiwari, Vikram Saini, Ram Dular Gond, Kuldeep Sengar, and Ashok Chandel, have lost their parliamentary memberships following criminal convictions. The ongoing legal challenges faced by these newly elected MPs could similarly result in significant political consequences.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, which has 80 parliamentary seats, the NDA won 36 seats in total, with the BJP alone securing 33 seats. The INDIA bloc, comprising the Samajwadi Party and Congress, won 43 seats.
