After mafia-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari’s death around two months back, his brother and sitting MP Afzal Ansari, riding on the sympathy wave, is engaged in a fierce political battle of ballots in the much sensitive Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat, going to polls on June 1.

There are two major aspects in Ghazipur constituency elections — the caste factor and secondly, the influence of the Ansari family after the death of Mukhtar Ansari.

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In this election, the saffron camp has placed its bets on Parasnath Rai, considered close to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. At the same time, Afzal Ansari, brother of Mukhtar Ansari, who left the BSP in 2019, is riding a ‘bicycle’ (SP symbol) this time under changed circumstances.

Dr Umesh Kumar Singh, a former BHU students union leader, is in the fray from the BSP. It has turned clear that there is a direct contest between the BJP and the SP. However, BSP is trying to make the fight triangular.

When there is mention of Ghazipur, the land of Param Vir Chakra winner Veer Abdul Hameed, people remember Vishwanath Singh Gahmari. The way Gahmari, who became MP in 1962, had expressed the pain of not only Ghazipur but the entire Purvanchal, hunger and unemployment in Parliament, people still talk about it. Hearing his speech, the eyes of every member including Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru became moist. It was due to the success of Gahmari that the Patel Commission was formed on the same day to assess the economic and social situation, which laid the foundation for the development of Purvanchal.

People here say that even though Mukhtar has died, the elections are being fought in Mukhtar’s name only.

The BJP had surprised everyone by giving a ticket to Parasnath Rai, who is said to be close to Manoj Sinha. When the ticket was announced, Parasnath Rai was teaching in his school. Then he said he has not even applied for the ticket. After this, it was discussed that Manoj Sinha had got the ticket. However, later Parasnath Rai himself said that no one had given him the ticket, rather the organization was contesting the elections.

Afzal Ansari, the sitting MP, during his tenure of five years, remained busy in his ongoing cases in the courts. In these five years, he was punished by court, went to jail, his Lok Sabha membership was terminated and then reinstated on the court orders.

In the 2019 elections, BJP’s Manoj Sinha was defeated by BSP’s Afzal Ansari. If Afzal wins this election, he will be the second MP after Manoj Sinha to reach the Lok Sabha thrice. He will also become the fourth MP who will win this seat twice in a row.

In April last year, a Ghazipur court had sentenced Afzal Ansari to 4 years in jail and declared him ineligible for the post of MP. His sentence was suspended by the Supreme Court in December 2023. The Supreme Court had directed the Allahabad High Court to resolve Afzal Ansari’s case by June 30, 2024. Everyone’s eyes are fixed on that case too.

The BJP is relying mainly on Hindu votes while the SP candidate is trying to infuse a communal harmony with the support of PDA — ‘Picchde’ (backward classes), Dalits and ‘Alpsankhyak’ (minorities) — and the traditional Muslim-Yadav combination.

There was a time when Mafia Mukhtar Ansari had influence in the world of politics and crime. Be it his own election or that of his brother, son or nephew, his strong management and enthusiasm among the public use to pave the way for victory. After his death, this will be the first election that his elder brother Afzal Ansari is contesting without his management.

For the first time in the 40-year political history of the Ansari family, Mukhtar’s dominance is not visible. Famous people who were once close to Mukhtar are now standing against Afzal Ansari, because the mafia, which is no longer scaring them.

Mukhtar Ansari was MLA five times. Spent more than 15 years in jail. Mukhtar Ansari won the assembly elections held in 1996, 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017. Mukhtar Ansari had won three assembly elections while in jail.

However, on other hand, the BJP has gone for high level campaigning led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacking the mafias and raking up the communal issues including reservation.