With activists making much hue and cry over stopping criminals and anti-social elements from contesting elections, but for about a dozen jailed dons, the “bars” put up by the “law” to confine them under judicial custody had not deterred their ambition to maintain their “clout” by contesting the elections from jails or by pushing their `muscle power’ behind their family members to make them `law maker’ and carry forward their political legacy.
In the on-going polls, while three criminals-turned-politicians are contesting elections from jail, including two whose parole was cancelled by the High Court, family members of over half a dozen others arrested persons are in the field.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which made tall claims of ending the `jungle raj’ if voted to power, tops the list of fielding two of the jailed “dons” to contest the battle of ballots.
Mukhtar Ansari, a four-time MlA from Mau Sadar, is in lucknow jail. His party Quami Ekta Dal has now merged into the BSP after Akhilesh dislodged their efforts to join Samajwadi Party. Interestingly, out of several cases lodged against Ansari, the one in which he made head-lines is `political murder’ of then Bharatiya Janta Party MlA Krishnanand Rai in 2005.
While the trial in that case is in progress in a Delhi court, Ansari now once again faced challenge as BJP this time gave ticket to Rai’s widow Alka Rai.
Another don of Varanasi, Vineet Singh, contesting Syed Raza in Chandauli, is in Ranchi district jail in connection with a kidnapping case lodged in 2003. He already filed his nomination after getting some relief from the local court. He is now back in jail but his family is campaigning for him and Singh is managing his election from the jail.
Amanmani Tripathi, son of former Minister Amar Mani Tripathi, is lodged in Dasna jail in Ghaziabad and contesting from Nautanwa in Maharajganj. His father and mother both were also behind the bars after getting life term in sensational killing of poetess Madhumita Shukla while Amanmani was in jail for killing his wife Sara. Amanmani, who managed to get SP ticket, is now
fighting as an independent from jail and his election campaign was managed by his sisters, Tanushree Mani Tripathi (27) and Alankrita Mani Tripathi (24).
Besides, the family members particularly wives of many jailed dons were too in the fields to maintain political legacy. Sanjeev Maheswari, lodged in Mainpuri district jail and facing seven cases, including the murder of Krishnanand Rai, had fielded his wife Payal, who contested on Rastriya lok Dal ticket from Muzaffarnagar. Another accused in the same murder of Rai, Prem Singh alias Munna Bajrangi, pushed his wife Seema is the contest from Madiyahun seat in Jaunpur on an Apna Dal (Krishna Patel) ticket. Munna is lodged in Jhansi district jail and faces trial in eight criminal cases.
In Mirzapur district jail is former BJP MlA Uday Bhan Karwariya. His wife Neelam Karwariya is contesting Meja in Allahabad on a BJP ticket. Uday Bhan is the main accused in the murder case of Jawahar Pandit who was shot dead in Allahabad in 1996. Uday brother and former BSP MP from Phulpur, Kapil Muni Karwariya is also in jail in the same killing.
Jawahar’s widow Vijma Yadav, who is already a sitting MlA from Pratapur Assembly constituency in Allahabad, is also trying to retain the seat once again on the SP ticket.
Former MlA and don-turned-politician DP Yadav’s wife Umlesh has contested from Sahaswan seat in Badaun district. Her ticket is of the Rashtriya Parivartan Dal, Yadav’s party. Yadav is lodged in Tihar jail in connection with a double murder case of on September 13, 1992.
One more who is trying to carry forward his political legacy is Aishwarya Chowdhary, accused in a case of communal rioting that took place in Pedda village in Bijnor last year. His wife Shuchi has contested from Bijnor on a BJP ticket. Aishwarya is lodged in Maharajganj district jail.
Madhuri Verma, wife of Dilip Verma, elected on Congress ticket in 2012 after her husband Dilip Verma, a two-time Congress MlA who is serving a five-year sentence for assaulting a Dalit, is contesting from Nanpara seat once again.
She left Congress to contest on BJP ticket this time. Pramila Dhar Tripathi and Prabhat Tripathi, wife and son of former UP Minister Rakesh Dhar Tripathi, who recently came out on bail after arrested in DA case, both were also contesting against each from Handia Assembly of Bhadohi. Pramila is contesting on Apna Dal ticket.