CM Yogi Adityanath's claim validated as mafia goes missing from UP's poll scene

It is a validation of the Yogi Adityanath government's claim that the mafia has been relegated to its rightful position in Uttar Pradesh.

The chief minister's zero tolerance policy towards crime has ensured that the mafia is no longer contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state. Some are dead, others are jailed and some have been convicted, making them ineligible to contest the polls.

To begin with, Atiq Ahmad, his brother Ashraf and, more recently, Mukhtar Ansari have died in different circumstances in police custody.

Atiq and Mukhtar wielded considerable political influence in their respective regions which helped them and their family members win elections.

Atiq, his brother and son Asad have died and the rest of the family members are either in jail or on the run.

Mukhtar's elder brother Afzal Ansari, a sitting MP, is contesting the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat on a SP ticket but the family's "influence" has been scaled down after Mukhtar's demise.

Brijesh Singh, another mafia don of Purvanchal, was keen to contest from Chandauli and, sources said, that he had even got the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) to name him as its candidate.

However, SBSP could not get the Chandauli seat and this dashed Brijesh Singh's ambition to reach the Lok Sabha.

Ramakant Yadav, a former MP who has had stints in Congress, BSP and SP, is presently an SP MLA from Phulpur Sawai seat in Azamgarh.

He is presently lodged in jail and has failed to get a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections from his party.

His brother, Umakant Yadav, a former BSP MP, is serving a life term in Jaunpur after being convicted in 2022 for the murder of a GRP constable. His political career has come to an end.

Another former MP whose career in politics has ended is D P Yadav. After a series of controversial cases, almost every political party in UP has maintained a safe distance from the man whose word was once command in western UP.

Amar Mani Tripathi is another mafia who hit the headlines in connection with the murder of a Lucknow poetess Madhumita Shukla in 2003. He was convicted and awarded a life sentence. The state government, however, released him from jail last year on grounds of good behaviour.

Tripathi is now facing the heat in another case of kidnapping in which he is an accused.

Following his conviction, all hopes of his contesting elections have been dashed.

His son, Aman Mani Tripathi, has also failed to get a ticket for the Lok Sabha elections even though he joined the Congress last month in the hope of getting one.

Aman Mani, incidentally, is also accused of conspiring the murder of his wife Sara Singh is a road accident.

Hari Shankar Tiwari, an erstwhile mafia don of Purvanchal, died last year due to age-related issues and his two sons Bhisham Shankar Tiwari and Vinay Shankar Tiwari have been caught in ED net on money laundering charges. The family is completely out of the election scene this year.

Another mafia don who is facing trouble in contesting polls is Dhananjay Singh, a former MP.

Singh was on the verge of contesting his Jaunpur seat when he was convicted to seven years in jail on charges of kidnapping and threatening a government employee. He was sent to jail last month. Singh has appealed against the MP/MLA court verdict in the Allahabad High Court which has posted the case for hearing on April 24.

Unless he gets any redressal from the high court, Dhananjay Singh will not be able to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Vijay Mishra, a former mafia MLA is also lodged in jail after being sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment in a rape case and this has dashed his hopes of taking part in electoral politics.