Mukhtar’s niece Nusrat Ansari enters poll fray — both as SP candidate & Independent

Her father Afzal Ansari —Mukhtar’s elder brother and sitting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP from Ghazipur, also submitted his nomination on Monday as an SP candidate for the Ghazipur seat.

Some political observers view Nusrat’s move as a “dummy” candidature. However, it is crucial to note that the Allahabad High Court has not yet delivered its verdict on an appeal filed by Afzal Ansari, contesting his conviction in a 2007 case by a special Ghazipur court. The High Court has reserved its judgment.

In April last year, a Ghazipur court sentenced Afzal Ansari to four years’ imprisonment under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act following which he was disqualified as MP. In December 2023, the Supreme Court suspended his conviction conditionally and directed the Allahabad High Court to resolve his appeal by June 30, 2024, leading to his disqualification as an MP being temporarily suspended.

Since the Election Commission declared the poll dates, Nusrat has been actively taking part in the campaign. She has been visiting temples and participating in discussions with local residents, according to sources.

Gopal Yadav, SP’s Ghazipur district president, said Nusrat filed her nomination on an SP ticket and also as an Independent candidate as “backup”. This, pointed out Yadav, was a “precautionary measure” in case Afzal Ansari’s nomination papers are rejected.

Yadav claimed that during the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Nusrat campaigned aggressively for her father.

The Ghazipur seat, falling under the seventh phase, will go to polls on June 1. The last date for filing nomination papers is
May 14.

Afzal, a five-time MLA and two-time MP, has also reportedly been projecting his daughter as a potential successor of his in politics. In a video that has been circulated on social media, Afzal is seen purportedly expressing gratitude for having been blessed with three daughters, one of whom is Nusrat.

In the video, he highlights her academic achievements, noting that she is a graduate of Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi and has also completed her post graduation from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Tuljapur, Maharashtra. Her subject was rural development and she was a topper and gold medallist, Afzal claims in the video.

The BJP has nominated Paras Nath Rai, while Umesh Kumar Singh is contesting on a BSP ticket from the Ghazipur seat.