103.172.73.170: Just added alleged word.

2021-12-30T20:37:47Z

Just added alleged word.

122.171.232.26 at 12:51, 4 July 2021

2021-07-04T12:51:38Z

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{{Short description|Indian Politician}}
{{for|the pre-partition leader|Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2019}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mukhtar Ansari
| image = IMG-20200920-WA0036.jpg
| office = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member of Legislative Assembly]] for [[Mau (Assembly constituency)|Mau]]
| caption = Mukhtar Ansari (R) with Mansoor Ansari (L)
| height =
| constituency = [[Mau (Assembly constituency)|Mau]]
| successor =
| party = [[Bahujan Samaj Party]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|06|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ghazipur district|Yusufpur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]<ref name="UPVS">{{cite web|url=http://www.upvidhansabhaproceedings.gov.in/member?memberId=19758|title=Member Profile|work=official website of Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh|accessdate=16 December 2018}}</ref>
| otherparty = [[Quami Ekta Dal]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Afshan Ansari|1989}}
| partner =
| children = 2(including [[Abbas Ansari]])
| relations = [[Afzal Ansari]] (brother) [[Sibakatullah Ansari]] (brother) [[Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari]] (grandfather) [[Hamid Ansari]] (Uncle) 
| residence = Uttar Pradesh
| alma_mater = [[Post Graduate College, Ghazipur|PG College Ghazipur]]
<ref>https://myneta.info/uttarpradesh2017/candidate.php?candidate_id=4570</ref>
| profession = politician
| term_start = October 1996
| term_end =
| predecessor = Naseem
}}
'''Mukhtar Ansari''' (born 30 June 1963) is a gangster turned Indian politician from [[Uttar Pradesh]]. He has been elected as a [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member of the Legislative Assembly]] from the [[Mau, Uttar Pradesh|Mau]] constituency five times with a [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] ticket. Now In jail transferred from punjab to Uttar Pradesh.

== Early life ==
Mukhtar Ansari is the grandson of [[Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari]], an early president of the [[Indian National Congress]].<ref name="Patrick2011"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/UP-photos-robinhoods-who-scare-worlds-most-wanted-dawood-ibrahim-3540419.html | title = Robinhoods who scare world's most-wanted Dawood Ibrahim | publisher = Daily Bhaskar | date = 2012-07-18 }}</ref>

In the early 1970s, the government commissioned several development projects in the backward [[Poorvanchal]] area. This resulted in the rise of organised gangs that competed with each other to grab the contracts for these projects.<ref name="Outlook_2005_Sicily"/> Mukhtar Ansari was originally a member of the Makhanu Singh gang. In the 1980s, this gang clashed with another gang led by Sahib Singh, over a plot of land in [[Saidpur, Ghazipur|Saidpur]], resulting in a series of violent incidents.<ref name="Frontline_2005"/> Brijesh Singh, a member of Sahib Singh's gang, later formed his own gang and took over [[Ghazipur]]'s [[contract work mafia]] in the 1990s. Ansari's gang competed with him for the control of the {{INR}} 100 [[crore]] contract business, which spanned areas such as coal mining, railway construction, scrap disposal, public works, and liquor business. The gangs were also involved in running [[protection racket|protection]] ("[[goonda]] tax") and [[extortion racket|extortion]] rackets, besides other criminal activities such as kidnapping.<ref name="Frontline_2005">{{cite journal|date=17–30 December 2005|title=Rule of the outlaw|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2226/stories/20051230004301700.htm|journal=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|volume=22|issue=26|author=Aman Sethi}}</ref>

== Early political career ==

By the early 1990s, Mukhtar Ansari was well known for his criminal activities, especially in the districts of Mau, Ghazipur, Varanasi and Jaunpur. He entered politics around 1995 through student union in Banaras Hindu University, became an MLA in 1996, and started challenging Brijesh Singh's dominance. The two became the main gang rivals in the Poorvanchal region.<ref name="Outlook_2005_Sicily">{{cite web | url = http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?229602 | title = A Slice Of Sicily | author = Alka Pande | date = 2005-12-09 | publisher = [[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] }}</ref> In 2002, Singh ambushed Ansari's convoy. Three of Ansari's men were killed in the resulting shootout. Brijesh Singh was critically injured and presumed dead. Ansari became the undisputed gang leader in Poorvanchal. However, Brijesh Singh was later found to be alive, and the feud resumed. To counter Ansari's political influence, Singh supported the election campaign of the BJP leader [[Krishnanand Rai]]. Rai defeated Mukhtar Ansari's brother and five-time MLA [[Afzal Ansari]] from the Mohammadabad in the 2002 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.<ref name="Outlook_2005_Sicily"/> Mukhtar Ansari later claimed that Rai used his political office to award all the contracts to Brijesh singh's gang, and the two planned to eliminate him.<ref name="Frontline_2005"/>

Ansari used the Muslim [[votebank]] to ensure his victory during the elections in the [[Ghazipur district|Ghazipur]]-[[Mau district|Mau]] area. His opponents tried to consolidate the Hindu votes, which is divided on the [[caste politics in India|caste]] lines. The mix of crime, politics, and religion led to several instances of [[communal violence]] in the region. After one such riot, Mukhtar Ansari was arrested on the charge of inciting people towards violence.<ref name="Frontline_2005"/>

While Ansari was lodged in the jail, Krishnanand Rai was shot dead in public along with his six aides. The attackers fired over 400 bullets from six [[AK-47]] rifles; 67 bullets were recovered from the seven bodies with the help of Ramashrey Giri.<ref name="Outlook_2005_Sicily"/> Shashikant Rai, an important witness in the case, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in 2006. He had identified Ansari and Bajrangi's shooters Angad Rai and Gora Rai as the two of the gunmen who attacked Rai's convoy. The police dismissed his death as a suicide.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Key-witnesss-murder-to-weaken-case-against-Ansari-Bajrangi-/articleshow/5713824.cms?referral=PM | title = Key witness's murder to weaken case against Ansari, Bajrangi | date = 2010-03-23 | newspaper = The Times of India }}</ref> Ansari's rival Brijesh Singh escaped from the Ghazipur-Mau area after Rai's murder. He was later arrested in 2008, in [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], and later entered politics as a member of the [[Pragatisheel Manav Samaj Party]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Little-known-party-fields-mafia-don-Brijesh-Singh/articleshow/11322299.cms?referral=PM | title = Little known party fields mafia don Brijesh Singh | date = 2012-01-01 | newspaper = The Times of India }}</ref>

In 2008, Ansari was booked for ordering an attack on Dharmendra Singh, a witness in a murder case. However, later, the victim submitted an affidavit requesting the proceedings against Ansari to be dropped.<ref name="IE_2010_expel"/> On 27 September 2017, Ansari was acquitted of murder.<ref>https://scroll.in/latest/852134/uttar-pradesh-mla-mukhtar-ansari-acquitted-in-eight-year-old-murder-case</ref>

On 9 January 2018, Ansari and his wife suffered heart attacks while in a prison.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mukhtar-ansari-up-mla-suffers-heart-attack-in-jail-1130459-2018-01-09 | title=Mukhtar Ansari, UP MLA suffers heart attack in jail | date=9 January 2018 | publisher=India Today | accessdate=3 February 2019 }}</ref>

== Bahujan Samaj Party ==

Mukhtar Ansari and his brother Afzal joined the [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] (BSP) in 2007. The party allowed them in, after they claimed that they had been falsely framed in criminal cases for fighting against the "feudal system", and promised to refrain from participating in any crimes. The BSP chief [[Mayawati]] portrayed Mukhtar Ansari as [[Robin Hood]] and called him "a messiah of the poor".<ref name="Patrick2011">{{cite book | author=Patrick French | title=India: A Portrait | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Umq5giFg8gC&pg=PA258 | year=2011 | publisher=[[Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|Knopf Doubleday]] | isbn=978-0-307-59664-2 | page=258 }}</ref><ref name="IE_2010_expel"/> Ansari fought the [[2009 Indian general election|2009 Lok Sabha elections]] from [[Varanasi (Lok Sabha constituency)|Varanasi]] on a BSP ticket, while still lodged in the jail.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/bsp-fields-mukhtar-ansari-from-varanasi/article356363.ece | title = BSP fields Mukhtar Ansari from Varanasi | date = 2009-02-17 | newspaper = The Hindu }}</ref> He lost to BJP's [[Murli Manohar Joshi]] by a margin of 17,211 votes; he received 27.94% of the votes, compared to Joshi's 30.52%.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-varanasi-won-t-be-a-walk-through-for-narendra-modi-1970368 | title = Varanasi won't be a walk through for Narendra Modi | date = 2014-03-19 | author = Iftikhar Gilani | newspaper = DNA }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.electionplans.com/election/state/india/constituency/2544/200904/ | title = General Elections Results, Apr 2009: Varanasi | publisher = ZillR ElectionPlans.com | accessdate = 2014-03-19 }}</ref>

Mukhtar Ansari and two other persons were charge-sheeted for the murder of Kapil Dev Singh in April 2009. The police also found that he had ordered the murder of a contractor Ajay Prakash Singh in August 2009.<ref name="IE_2010_expel">{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/maya-s-party-expels--messiah-of-poor--mukhtar-ansari-his-brother/607660/0 | title = Maya’s party expels ‘messiah of poor’ Mukhtar Ansari, his brother | date = 2010-04-17 | newspaper = Indian Express }}</ref> In 2010, Ansari was booked for the murder of Ram Singh Maurya. Maurya was a witness to the murder of Mannat Singh, a local contractor allegedly killed by Ansari's gang in 2009.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/mukhtar-ansari-booked-in-murder-case/593546/ | title = Mukhtar Ansari booked in murder case | date = 2010-03-21 | newspaper = Indian Express }}</ref>

The two brothers were expelled by BSP in 2010 after the party realized that they were still involved in criminal activities. A raid in Ghazipur jail, where he was lodged, had revealed that Mukhtar was living a luxurious life: items like air coolers and cooking equipment were found from his cell. He was shifted to the [[Mathura]] prison soon after the raid.<ref name="IE_2010_expel"/>

== Quami Ekta Dal ==

After being expelled from BSP and being rejected by other political parties, the three Ansari brothers (Mukhtar, Afzal, and [[Sibakatullah Ansari|Sibkatillah]]) formed their own political party called the [[Quami Ekta Dal]] (QED), in 2010. Earlier, Mukhtar had launched an outfit called the Hindu Muslim Ekta Party, which was merged with QED.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/ansaris-launch-own-political-outfit-will-contest-polls/657896/ | title = Ansaris launch own political outfit, will contest polls | date = 2010-08-09 | newspaper = The Indian Express }}</ref> In 2012, he was charged under the [[Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act]] for being a member of an organised crime syndicate.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttar-pradesh/up-mla-mukhtar-ansari-charged-under-mcoca_773111.html | title = UP MLA Mukhtar Ansari charged under MCOCA | date = 2012-03-03 | publisher = Zee News }}</ref>

In March 2014, Ansari announced that he will contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections against [[Narendra Modi]] from [[Varanasi (Lok Sabha constituency)|Varanasi]] and lost there with huge difference, besides contesting from [[Ghosi (Lok Sabha constituency)|Ghosi]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Mukhtar-to-challenge-Modi-in-Varanasi/articleshow/31933494.cms | title = Mukhtar to challenge Modi in Varanasi | date = 2014-03-13 | newspaper = The Times of India }}</ref> However, in April, he withdrew his candidature stating that he wanted to prevent division of "secular votes".<ref>{{cite news | url = http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mukhtar-ansari-opts-out-of-contest-against-narendra-modi-in-varanasi/1/354999.html | title = Mukhtar Ansari opts out of contest against Narendra Modi in Varanasi | date = 2014-04-10 | publisher = India Today }}</ref>

== Back in BSP ==
On 26 January 2016, Ansari rejoined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), before the [[2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election|2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative elections]]. There was widespread speculation about the Ansari brothers joining Samajwadi party a couple of months ago. BSP chief Mayawati defended his entry into the party, stating that the criminal charges against Ansari had not been proven, and that the party gives people a chance to reform themselves.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.financialexpress.com/elections/uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections-2017/mukhtar-ansari-joins-mayawatis-bsp-here-are-the-five-key-facts-about-the-don-turned-politician/523774/ |title=Mukhtar Ansari joins Mayawati’s BSP |newspaper=Financial Express |date=26 January 2017 }}</ref>

Eventually, Ansari merged his Quami Ekta Dal with BSP in 2017, and won the state elections as a BSP candidate from the Mau assembly seat. He defeated his nearest rival Mahendra Rajbhar of [[Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party]] (a [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] ally) by 6464 votes.<ref name="HT_2017_BSP_wins">{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/assembly-elections/up-election-2017-mukhtar-ansari-wins-on-bsp-ticket-son-and-brother-lose/story-7OrV4Zb6Zap7iYo353zFAL.html |title=UP election 2017: Mukhtar Ansari wins on BSP ticket, son and brother lose |newspaper=Hindustan Times |date=12 March 2017}}</ref>

== Electoral performance ==

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election victories<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.partyanalyst.com/constituencyPageAction.action?constituencyId=39134 | title =Mau Assembly Constituency Details | publisher = Party Analyst | accessdate = 2014-03-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/electionanalysis/AE/S24/partycomp204.htm | title = 204 - Mau Assembly Constituency | publisher = Election Commission of India | accessdate = 2014-03-19 }}</ref>
! Year
! Constituency
! Vote %
! Party
|-
| 2017
| Mau
| 24.19%
| Bahujan Samaj Party<ref name="HT_2017_BSP_wins"/>
|-
| 2012
| Mau
| 31.24%
| Quami Ekta Dal
|-
| 2007
| Mau
| 46.78%
| Independent
|-
| 2002
| Mau
| 46.06%
| Independent
|-
| 1996
| Mau
| 45.85%
| Bahujan Samaj Party
|}

==See also==
* [[Shaukatullah Shah Ansari]]
* [[Faridul Haq Ansari]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Organised crime in India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansari, Mukhtar}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Indian gangsters]]
[[Category:Indian politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Politicians from Ghazipur]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2017–]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2007–2012]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2012–2017]]
[[Category:Criminals from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Inmates of Tihar Jail]]
[[Category:Bahujan Samaj Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Quami Ekta Dal politicians]]
[[Category:1963 births]]

Mukhtar Ansari - Revision history

103.172.73.170: Just added alleged word.

122.171.232.26 at 12:51, 4 July 2021