BSP drops Atiq’s wife as its Prayagraj mayoral candidate

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has dropped Shaista Parveen, wife of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, as its mayoral candidate in Prayagraj for the upcoming civic polls in Uttar Pradesh. Parveen is a suspect in the February 24 Umesh Pal murder case.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has dropped Shaista Parveen, the wife of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, as its mayoral candidate in Prayagraj in the upcoming civic polls in Uttar Pradesh, claimed party insiders here on Tuesday.

Shaista Parveen had joined the BSP in the presence of senior party leaders in Prayagraj on January 5 this year. (HT file)

Confirming it, Prayagraj district unit BSP chief GN Jaisal said the party will contest the local body elections strongly. “This is the reason why strong candidates are being selected. Shaista Parveen will not be getting BSP ticket for contesting mayoral elections now. The party has begun the search for a new candidate,” he said.

Shaista Parveen along with her husband and two sons has been named in the FIR lodged in the February 24 Umesh Pal murder case here.

Later, the Prayagraj police announced a ₹25,000 reward on information leading to her arrest. She has been absconding ever since the crime was committed in Dhoomanganj in which Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 Raju Pal case, and his two police guards were shot dead in broad daylight.

Shaista Parveen had joined the BSP in the presence of senior party leaders in Prayagraj on January 5 this year. She had formally taken BSP membership at party’s divisional level meeting held at Sardar Patel Sansthan, Alopibagh here.

BSP leaders present on the occasion had also announced that she will be party’s candidate for the post of Prayagraj mayor in the upcoming local bodies polls in Uttar Pradesh. However, party leaders said the decision to drop her was taken in the meeting of senior party leaders held in the state capital on Monday.

Local party leaders claimed that five names had been sent by BSP’s divisional level leaders and district committee for consideration. However, final decision had not yet been made, they said. “A Brahmin face can possibly be the party’s mayoral candidate and this is the reason why BSP leaders are in talks with few prominent Brahmin leaders of other parties as well,” a senior leader claimed.

Currently, Atiq’s two sons Umar and Ali are in prison in connection with different cases. His younger brother Khalid Azeem aka Ashraf, a former MLA, is also in Bareilly jail. Atiq was arrested in connection with the attack on Prayagraj-based Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences employees in 2017. He is lodged in Sabarmati jail in Gujarat on the orders of the Supreme Court.