Mukhtar Ansari (30 June 1963 – 28 March 2024) is a convicted Gangster turned politician from Uttar Pradesh. He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Mau constituency for five times, including twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. The disputed legislator was not only running his gang from jail but also won the election from prison.
Source: Wikipedia
The Early Life of Mukhtar Ansari: Gangster Roots
The early life of Mukhtar Ansari was far from ordinary. Born in 1963, Ansari hailed from a strong political family. His cousin, Afzal Ansari, was a member of the Indian Parliament. However, it wasn’t the politics that were inherited, but the criminal aspects. Mukhtar Ansari’s gangster roots can be traced back to his early youth, where he got entangled in the world of crime, later becoming one of the most notorious gangsters of Eastern UP. Despite coming from a political family, he was drawn towards the underbelly of crime in his early twenties.
From Crime to Politics: Mukhtar Ansari’s Transition
As his reputation began to grow within the underworld space, Mukhtar Ansari decided to transform himself from the arena of the underworld to the mainstream political stage.
The 1990s marked Mukhtar Ansari’s official transition from crime to politics. He won his first election as an independent candidate and began to establish a political empire that would mesh with his criminal activities. His seamless transition was due to his ability to control criminal activities while pushing socio-political narratives that resonated with the locals at Mau. He has won the Mau constituency 5 times, His impact as a politician was his ability to manipulate political narratives, using his criminal reputation to strike fear and gain influence. Ansari has been in and out of prison multiple times, revealing the dark side of his political journey.
His wife, son, and other family members have criminal cases against their names.
Some of the Important Controversies and Criminal Allegations: The Dark Side of Mukhtar Ansari
Despite his attempts at maintaining a politically clean image, Mukhtar Ansari has been associated with a series of controversies and criminal allegations. From allegations of murder to kidnapping and extortion, his criminal background often overshadows his political persona.
Mukhtar Ansari’s name first appeared in the Sachchidanand Rai murder case of 1988.
The most important of the cases registered against Mukhtar Ansari is the incident of the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai on 29th Nov 2005
Mukhtar Ansari’s name also appeared in the contractor Ajay Prakash Singh’s murder case in Mau. The witness of this murder crime was also murdered.
His name was also associated with the 2005 riots in Mau and the attack on Yogi Adityanath in 2008
Mukhtar Ansari’s Downfall
Mafia Mukhtar Ansari surrendered in 2005 in connection with the Mau riots. While he was in Jail, he was running his gang from Prison. But soon the political scenario changed in UP when Yogi Adityanath came to power in the state.
Mukhtar Ansari’s property worth hundreds of crores has not only been sealed and auctioned under the Yogi government, but many of his shops and properties have also been demolished by bulldozers. His assets worth about Rs 300 crore have been either confiscated or razed off.
Recent Events and Death
Ansari had been in jail since 2005 and faced over 60 criminal cases of ransom, kidnapping, murders, riots other than illegally grabbing lands, tenders, and contracts, etc. which was spread across many districts, including Mau, Ghazipur, Varanasi, and Azamgarh. He was convicted in eight cases in the last two years of his life.
His family alleged he was being poisoned in prison, but this was not substantiated. On March 28, 2024, Ansari died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 60. He was rushed to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda after his health deteriorated. He died of Cardiac arrest there during treatment. Section 144 has been Imposed In Several Districts Of UP. With his death, the dark era of criminals turning into politicians has come to an end.