LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court on Friday barred jailed Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mukhtar Ansari from voting in the Rajya Sabha (RS) elections.
BSP national general secretary and Rajya Sabha member, S. Sansitpat, an eminent Supreme Court lawyer, Satish Chand Mishra had filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court for the release of two MLAs Mukhtar Ansari of the BSP and Hariom Yadav of the Samajwadi Party (SP), so that they could participate in the voting on March 23.
Ansari is the prime accused in the murder of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Krishnanand Rai, among other crimes, and has pleaded not guilty.
In September 2017, Ansari was acquitted in connection with contractor Manna Singh's murder case.
In 2010, he was also booked for the murder of Ram Singh Maurya, who was a witness to the murder of Manna Singh.
The Rajya Sabha polls are scheduled to take place today.