Afzal Ansari

Afzal Ansari
Official portrait, 2019
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 May 2019
Preceded by	Manoj Sinha
Constituency	Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh
In office 22 May 2004 – 16 May 2009
Preceded by	Manoj Sinha
Succeeded by	Radhe Mohan Singh
Constituency	Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh
Member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly
In office 1985–2002
Preceded by	Sarju Pande
Succeeded by	Krishnanand Rai
Constituency	Mohammadabad
Personal details
Born	(1953-08-14) 14 August 1953 (age 71) Yusufpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Political party	Samajwadi Party
Other political affiliations	Quami Ekta Dal Bahujan Samaj Party Communist Party of India
Spouse	Farhat Ansari ​ (m. 1991)​
Relations	Mukhtar Ansari (brother) Sibgatullah Ansari (brother) Hamid Ansari (Uncle) Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari (grandfather) Abbas Ansari (nephew) Umar Ansari (Nephew)
Children	3
Parents	Subhanullah Ansari (father) Begum Rabia (mother)
Residence	22, Janpath, New Delhi
Education	Gorakhpur University
Profession	Politician
Source: [1]

Afzal Ansari (born 14 August 1953) ^[1] is an Indian politician^[2] of the Samajwadi Party and currently an incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) of Lok Sabha for Ghazipur constituency in Uttar Pradesh.^{[3][needs update]} He won the 2004, 2019, and 2024 general elections.

Early life

Afzal Ansari was born in Yusufpur–Mohammadabad town in Ghazipur district, Uttar Pradesh to Subhanullah Ansari and Begum Rabia. He received his school education. For higher studies, he enrolled in the local post-graduate college and completed Post Graduation from the University of Gorakhpur.^[4]

Family

Afzal Ansari's father Subhanullah Ansari was the chairman of Nagar Palika Parishad, Mohammadabad, and was elected unopposed. His grandfather Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari served as the president (1926–1927) of the All-India Muslim League, as well as the Indian National Congress (INC), and was one of the founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia,^{[citation needed]} New Delhi.

Former Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is Afzal Ansari's cousin.

Afzal Ansari is married to Farhat Ansari since 26 October 1991 and the couple have 3 daughters.

Ansari's elder brother Sibgatullah Ansari and his younger brother Mukhtar Ansari^[5] both were involved in politics and became MLA's in different constituencies.

Political career

Member of Legislative Assembly

Ansari started his political career with the Communist Party of India.^[6] He contested Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election in 1985 for the first time and defeated Abhay Narayan Rai from Indian National Congress with a margin of 3,064 votes. From 1985 to 2002, Ansari served five terms as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mohammadabad Assembly constituency.^[7]

Member of Parliament

Afzal Ansari contested the 2004 Lok Sabha general election on the Samajwadi Party ticket and defeated Manoj Sinha of the Bharatiya Janata Party with a margin of 226,777 votes.^[8] He contested the 2009 general election on the Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket for Ghazipur but lost to the Bhartiya Janta Party's Radhe Mohan Singh.^[9]

After some political differences, Ansari left the Samajwadi Party and founded a new political party called Quami Ekta Dal and served as its Secretary-General before merging it with Samajwadi Party.^{[10][11][12][13]} Ansari rejoined the SP in 2019 and contested the general election in Ghazipur; he won the seat, becoming the 17th Lok Sabha member from Ghazipur.

On 1 May 2023, Ansari was disqualified as a Member of Parliament following being given a 4 year jail sentence. His suspension was revoked on 15 December 2023 by the Supreme Court of India. ^[14]

Positions held

Afzal Ansari has been elected 5 times as MLA and 3 times as Lok Sabha MP.^[15]

#	From	To	Position	Political party
1.	1985	1989	MLA (1st term) from Mohammadabad		Communist Party of India
2.	1989	1991	MLA (2nd term) from Mohammadabad		Communist Party of India
3.	1991	1993	MLA (3rd term) from Mohammadabad		Communist Party of India
4.	1993	1996	MLA (4th term) from Mohammadabad		Communist Party of India
5.	1996	2002	MLA (5th term) from Mohammadabad		Samajwadi Party
6.	2004	2009	MP (1st term) in 14th Lok Sabha from Ghazipur		Samajwadi Party
7.	2019	2024	MP (2nd term) in 17th Lok Sabha from Ghazipur [a]		Bahujan Samaj Party
8.	2024[16]	--	MP (3rd term) in 18th Lok Sabha from Ghazipur		Samajwadi Party

Criminal cases

After inaugurating a cricket tournament in 2005, MLA Krishnanand Rai's cavalcade was ambushed while he was returning home. Krishnanand Rai and six of his aides were killed by AK-47 bullet fires. Both Ansari (Mukhtar Ansari and Afzal Ansari) brothers were booked under Gangster act in connection with murder of BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai in November 2005 and kidnapping-murder of trader from Varanasi in 1997.^[17]

On 1 May 2023, Ansari was disqualified as a Member of Parliament following being given a 4-year jail sentence. His suspension was revoked on 15 December 2023 by the Supreme Court of India.

Notes

1. Disqualified in May 2023, but suspension revoked on 15 December 2023.

References

1. "Why Afzal Ansari stands disqualified from loksabhas Ghazipur seat brother Mukhtar Ansari". www.dnaindia.com. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
2. "Relief For Disqualified MP Afzal Ansari, Allahabad High Court Grants Him Bail". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
3. "General Election to Lok Sabha Trends & Result 2019". eci.gov.in. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
4. "Fourteenth Lok Sabha Members Bioprofile". loksabha.nic.in. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
5. "Mukhtar Ansari: 1988 में पहली बार मुख्तार अंसारी पर हुआ था मुकदमा, जानिए माफिया की पूरी क्राइम कुंडली". Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
6. Shah, Amita (1 March 2017). "Gangs of Ghazipur bruising SP in eastern UP". DNA India. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
7. "Mohammadabad Assembly Constituency Election Results". mapsofindia.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
8. "IndiaVotes PC: Ghazipur 2004". IndiaVotes. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
9. "IndiaVotes PC: Ghazipur 2009". IndiaVotes. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
10. "Afzal Ansari". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
11. "Afzal Ansari gets SP ticket from Ghazipur". The Indian Express. 2 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
12. "Personality Details of Afzal Ansari". universal publication.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
13. "Ansari brothers may get tickets". The Hindu. thehindu.com. 31 January 2009. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
14. "After conviction, SP's Afzal Ansari disqualified as Lok Sabha member". The Indian Express. 1 May 2023. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
15. "Member Profile". Lok Sabha. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
16. The Economic Times (6 June 2024). "Bullish Wins & Bearish Losses: Here are the key contests and results of 2024 Lok Sabha polls". Archived from the original on 27 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
17. "SC suspends Afzal Ansari's conviction, paves for restoring his status as Lok Sabha MP".

External links

• Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website