Nusrat Ansari, daughter of Mukhtar’s brother Afzal Ansari, may fight now as independent
NEW PRISM BUREAU, UP
GHAZIPUR– Nusrat Ansari, the niece of late Mukhtar Ansari and daughter of Ghazipur MLA Afzal Ansari, will not be contesting the upcoming elections from the Samajwadi Party (SP). Both of Nusrat’s nomination papers filed under the SP banner have been cancelled, ending her chances of running as the party’s candidate. She will now have to contest the elections as an independent candidate.
With Nusrat Ansari’s disqualification, Afzal Ansari will be the official candidate for the India Alliance and will contest the election as the Samajwadi Party’s nominee from the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat. On Monday, Afzal Ansari filed his nomination papers for two seats, despite ongoing legal challenges.
Nusrat’s nomination was initially made as a dummy candidate, intended as a backup in case of any issues with her father’s nomination. Afzal Ansari explained, “If there was any problem with my nomination, the party symbol would be transferred to Nusrat, but with both her nominations cancelled, she was left to contest as an independent.”
Afzal Ansari faces increasing legal troubles as the Uttar Pradesh government has appealed to the Allahabad High Court to extend his sentence in a gangster case. The High Court has agreed to hear the appeal, with the next hearing scheduled for May 20. This development puts Afzal’s candidacy in jeopardy. If the court does not grant him relief, he may have to withdraw from the electoral race.
Despite the setbacks, Afzal Ansari remains determined. He remarked on the political challenges, “If the BJP wins 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the fourth phase, even saving half of those seats would be significant.” He sarcastically made remarks against the BJP candidate, “The BJP candidate had to call the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and the Deputy Chief Minister of UP to file their nomination papers.”
From the Ghazipur seat, the BJP has fielded Paras Nath Rai, whereas Umesh Kumar Singh is fighting on a BSP ticket.
As the High Court prepares to hear the appeal against Afzal Ansari’s sentence, his political future hangs in the balance. Should the court rule against him, his participation in the elections would be in jeopardy, necessitating his withdrawal. Until then, both Afzal and his daughter Nusrat prepare for their respective campaigns, navigating a complex political landscape fraught with legal and electoral challenges.
Mukhtar Ansari, a Bahuballi politician from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, who served as the MLA from the Mau seat five times, died on March 28, 2024, reportedly from a heart attack. However, his family disputed this, claiming he was poisoned. Ten days before his death, Ansari had informed the Barabanki Court of ongoing nerve and limb pain, which he suspected was due to poison in his food. The state government has ordered a magisterial probe into the matter.