Ghazipur Elections: The Ansari Legacy And Political Dynamics Unfold

The Ghazipur district in Uttar Pradesh is known for its socio-economic issues and mafia influence. Two months after Mukhtar Ansari, a gangster turned politician, died in prison, his legacy is a key issue in the ongoing elections.

Mukhtar's brother, Afzal Ansari, is the Samajwadi Party candidate. He won the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat in 2019 on a BSP ticket when the two parties were in alliance. This time, the Samajwadi Party is part of the India Block coalition, which includes Congress.

Afzal's main campaign theme is his brother's death. He claims Mukhtar was poisoned in jail and urges voters to punish those responsible. He argues that the people of Ghazipur should punish the BJP for his family's suffering.

However, Afzal has been sentenced to four years under the Gangster Act by the Ghazipur MP-MLA court. The case is pending in the Allahabad High Court. If upheld, he may have to withdraw from the race. His daughter, Nusrat Ansari, is nominated as an independent candidate as a backup plan.

Afzal won from Ghazipur in 2004 before his 2019 victory. Political analyst Shrikant Pandey explains that Afzal and his brothers enjoy popularity due to several factors. Apart from sympathy votes, Afzal has good election management and support from the Samajwadi Party's vote bank.

Despite their influence, BJP's Manoj Sinha won the Ghazipur seat thrice in 1996, 1999, and 2014. He is known as the "development man" due to projects undertaken during his tenure.

The 2014-2019 period under Sinha saw significant development in railways, roads, health, and education. After his defeat in 2019, he was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir but maintains close ties with Ghazipur.

The current BJP candidate, Parasnath Rai, is a close confidante of Sinha and acknowledges receiving the ticket because of him. The BJP campaign focuses on development and eliminating "goonda raj" (rule of gangsters).

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also campaigned for Rai, appealing for a decisive victory based on this theme. Many residents testify to progress made during Sinha's term but claim it has stalled in the last five years.

Afzal counters this by saying that his party's lack of power in the state prevented him from undertaking development initiatives. The Samajwadi Party relies on its caste equations to win.

Yadav and Dalit voters form the largest group with 3.5 lakhs out of 20.7 lakh voters. The SP believes that due to his previous win with BSP support, Afzal still enjoys their cadre's backing. Adding 1.5 lakh Muslim voters to this equation strengthens their position.

On the other side, Thakurs, Bhumihars, Kushwahas each have populations exceeding 1.5 lakhs. There are also over one lakh Brahmins and Vaishyas in the region.

The BSP candidate, Umesh Singh, faces the challenge of consolidating party votes. With Mukhtar Ansari gone, BJP believes voters are no longer intimidated by the Ansari family and will vote fearlessly.

The battle for Ghazipur is far from one-sided with a close fight expected between Samajwadi Party and BJP.