5 Facts On Mukhtar Ansari, Gangster-Turned Politician From UP

• Since 1952 nobody won from Mau in Uttar Pradesh for a second consecutive time, but Mukhtar Ansari broke the myth by winning the seat five times in a row beginning 1996, including twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. He last contested the assembly polls in 2017. 
• Mukhtar Ansari, who has been in jail since 2005 in various criminal cases, was brought to Banda jail by the Uttar Pradesh government from Punjab after a court battle.
• The gangster-turned politician had over 60 criminal cases pending against him. He was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts of Uttar Pradesh.
• In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990.
• The gangster, who hailed from Mau, was believed to have strong influence in Ghazipur and Varanasi districts as well. His name was on the list of 66 gangsters issued by Uttar Pradesh Police last year.