RLD’s Khatauli candidate is four-term MLA with criminal cases against him

Madan Bhaiya was booked thrice under Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act in 1991, 1997 and 1999. The UP Control of Goondas Act was also invoked against him in 1997. In 1999, UP Police invoked National Security Act against him, said an officer, adding his history-sheet is opened at Tila Mord police station in Ghaziabad.

However, in his last Assembly poll affidavit, Madan declared two cases pending against him – one filed in 1996 and the other in 2021. Both were lodged at Loni police station in Ghaziabad. However, there are no cases against him in Muzaffarnagar where Khatauli Assembly constituency is located.

“Madan Bhaiya is a good person,” replied Muzaffaragar’s RLD district president Sandeep Malik when asked about the criminal cases against the party’s nominee. “Madan Bhaiya was choosen because of his old association with the people of Muzaffarnagar. He is also a big leader of Gurjar community,” Malik added.

A native of Ghaziabad’s Jawali area, Madan won four Assembly elections from Khekra in Baghpat between 1991 to 2007 — first on a Janta Party ticket (1991), then as a Samajwadi Party candidate (1993), next as an Independent (2002), and finally from RLD (2007).

After Khekra seat got dissolved following the delimitation exercise, Madan Bhaiya started contesting the election from the Loni seat in Ghaziabad. But he lost the three consecutive Assembly elections from Loni — in 2012, 2017 and 2022 – on an RLD ticket.

He will be contesting from Khatauli Assembly seat for the first time with his party being in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

The bypoll in Khatauli was necessitated following the disqualification of sitting BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini after he was convicted in a 2013 riots case.