"No Mafia, Strongman" Will Contest: Mayawati Drops Jailed Mukhtar Ansari

Reports suggest that Mukhtar Ansari may also be thrown out of the party in its move to preempt attacks by the ruling BJP and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath portraying the BSP as a party of criminals and strongmen.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has dropped jailed party MLA Mukhtar Ansari as a candidate for next year's state election, after years of betting on the controversial gangster-turned-politician. She said Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)'s UP chief Bhim Rajbhar would be the candidate from Mau instead of Mukhtar Ansari. "BSP's efforts will be that no mafia or strongman gets party ticket in the upcoming UP assembly polls. Keeping this in mind, not Mukhtar Ansari but Bhim Rajbhar has been finalised for the Mau constituency," Mayawati tweeted this morning. Reports suggest that Mukhtar Ansari may also be thrown out of the party in its move to preempt attacks by the ruling BJP and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath portraying the BSP as a party of criminals and strongmen. Ansari, 58, had rejoined the BSP after 7 years in 2017, before the last UP election after his talks with the Samajwadi Party failed.