The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
In Uttar Pradesh, a long list of bahubalis
THE POLITICIAN- criminal nexus has been a staple of Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape for more than 40 years. Before 1980, the bahubali or the musclemen were a slightly dif ferent breed: they sought the patronage of the local politician to run their criminal activities. In return, these musclemen worked to ensure ‘ hassle- free’ elections for their political masters.
This arrangement changed with Gorakhpurbased muscleman Hari Shanker Tiwari, who became one of the such gangsters to contest an election while in prison. In the 1985 Assembly election, which Tiwari contested as an Independent, he defeated the Congress candidate from
Chillupar seat of Gorakhpur. He continued winning the seat in all subsequent state polls until 2007.
Tiwari also managed another first: he got a Cabinet berth, as minister of Science & Technology, in BJP’S Kalyan Singh government in 1996. He was also made minister in subsequent governments headed by BJP’S Rajnath Singh in 20 01, BSP’S Mayawati in 2002 and Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav in 20 03. These were governments formed through alliances with smaller parties and Tiwari had evidently proved useful in managing the numbers.
Tiwari’s darbars at his residence in Lucknow’s Hazratganj area and at his home in Gorakhpur drew not just the common man but politicians and bureaucrats who came in seeking his help in resolving their problems.
At least two of his close disciples, Mukhtar Ansari and Amarmani Tripathi, followed in his footsteps. While Tripathi became an MLA in 1989 on a Congress ticket, Mukhtar won in 1996 as a BSP candidate.
Like his mentor, Tripathi went on to get ministerial berths in governments headed by Rajnath Singh and Mayawati. His political career ended with his conviction in the Madhimita Shukla murder case in 2007.
Mukhtar, however, never joined the government since he remained in jail for most of political career, though he kept winning his Mau Sadar Assembly seat starting from 1996 until his son Abbas took over in 2022.
Another gangster who effortlessly navigated the world of politics and crime was Atiq Ahmed of Allahabad. With over 10 0 criminal cases, he won his first Assembly election in 1989 from Allahabad West and retained the seat in 1991, 1993 and 1996. He was famously involved in the Lucknow Guest House incident of 1995, when Samajwadi Party workers attacked Mayawati.
In this gallery of muscleman was a dacoit too – Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua, whose influence in the 1980s, ‘ 90s and early 2000s was such that no politician could ignore him.
For more than 30 years, Dadua openly lorded over the ravines while carrying a reward of Rs 6 lakh on his head. While Dadua’s services were open to all parties depending on their clout in the government, since 1989, he patronised politicians of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP. He remained untouched until 20 07, when the STF killed him in an encounter in Chitrakoot during the BSP regime. Such was his clout that after his death, his brother Bal Kumar Patel became an SP MP while his son Veer Singh became an MLA from the party.