Atiq Ahmed, who is facing trial in 35 criminal cases including murder and had once been expelled by the Samajwadi Party, will be the party’s candidate for the Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat in 2014.
“He will win the seat. How can he be called a criminal until any of the allegations or charges is proved? He has not been convicted in any case,” said Uttar Pradesh Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhary.
Former MP Atiq Ahmed, 51, is on bail since February 2012. He has been preferred over Shakeel Ahmed, who had been nominated earlier.
A party source said his “winnablity” factor worked in his favour. Already, there had been feedback from the local unit that Shakeel’s chances of victory were slim, the source said.
Atiq won the 2004 Lok Sabha election from the Phulpur seat before the party threw him out a year before his term was over.
Though the Election Commission had allowed Atiq to run for the 2009 Lok Sabha election since he had not been convicted, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati refused him the ticket.
Atiq then turned to the Apna Dal and contested from Pratapgarh seat but lost.
{{/usCountry}}Atiq then turned to the Apna Dal and contested from Pratapgarh seat but lost.
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