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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Assembly Election 2012: UP criminals set to contest polls from jail by Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui

Assembly Election 2012: UP criminals set to contest polls from jail by Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui

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published Published on Feb 8, 2012   modified Modified on Feb 8, 2012

At least 30 hardcore criminals and mafia dons are contesting this year's assembly elections from jails, which is high even by Uttar Pradesh's standards. What's different, however, is that this time merely two people with criminal records are contesting as mainstream party candidates; the rest are nominees of fringe outfits. 

Top among the dons are Prem Prakash Singh aka Munna Bajrangi from Madiyahon (Jaunpur) on an Apna Dal ticket; he is in Tihar Jail. Then there is gangster Brijesh Singh of Pragatisheel Samaj Party from Saiyedraza (Chandauli). He is in Ahmedabad jail. Brijesh is accused in more than 40 criminal cases, including the murder of 13 people in Azamgarh in 1994. 

Then there are Atiq Ahmed, Jitendra Singh Babloo and Purshottam Naresh Dwivedi. Contesting from Allahabad West on Apna Dal ticket, Atiq filed his nomination from Basti jail. Babloo is in Faizabad jail and will fight from Bikapur. 

He is the prime accused in the arson attack on the house of UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi two years ago. He was a BSP MLA then. Purushottam Naresh Dwivedi in Banda jail was BSP MLA from Naraini in Banda and was sacked after he was accused of rape. 

Madhumita murder case convict Amar Mani Tripathi got a ticket for son Aman Mani Tripathi from Nautanwa and uncle Shyam Narayan Tiwari from Farenda. Both are SP candidates. Anup Gupta, son of Om Prakash Gupta, a history-sheeter and in jail for the foodgrain scam, has got a ticket from Maholi in Sitapur. 

Then there are the lesser known like Ramesh Upadhaya, accused in Malegaon blast case and representing Hindu Mahasabha from Baririya in Jaunpur. An alleged aide of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Ramesh is in Arthur Road Jail. 

Times View 

Political parties have for years made the right noises about eliminating criminals from politics. But they have done precious little beyond mouthing these platitudes. What is, therefore, needed is a change in the laws. Currently, only those convicted for two years or more are barred from contesting elections. We propose that once charges have been framed by courts against a person for serious offences, he should be barred from polls. While cases may be filed by one party against political rivals, insisting on charges being framed by a court should ensure that innocent politicians are not denied their right to contest. As a further measure of caution against misuse of the law, cases filed within six months of an election can be excluded.


The Economic Times, 8 February, 2012, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/assembly-election-2012-up-criminals-set-to-contest-polls-from-jail/articleshow/11804197.cms


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