SP, BJP welcome more tainted leaders to bolster tally

With the sole aim of adding more seats to their tally from Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 elections, which is key to forming the government at the Centre, political parties are willing to overlook criminal records of candidates and are eager to field history sheeters and gangsters.

While the BJP and the ruling Samajwadi Party have taken a lead in getting politicians with muscle power, others are likely to follow their example.

The SP has named mafia don Ateeq Ahmed their candidate from Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency, despite the fact that Ateeq was the first to be booked under the gangster act in the state.

Ahmed faces as many as 44 criminal cases, including those of murder and attempt to murder. His name had cropped up in the murder of the BSP legislator Raju Pal.

The party also welcomed scam-tainted former BSP leader Babu Singh Kushwaha and his family in an obvious attempt to expand its support among the OBC Kushwaha community. Babu Singh is the prime accused in the multi-crore NRHM scam.