Western UP ‘Gangster’ Dujana wins panchayat polls from behind bars

Alleged gangster Anil Nagar alias Anil Dujana won the recently held panchayat elections from ward number 2 by a margin of over 10,000 votes.

Alleged gangster Anil Nagar alias Anil Dujana won the recently held panchayat elections from ward number 2 by a margin of over 10,000 votes.

The police arrested relatives of Anil Dujana for illegal possession of arms last month. (HT File)

The panchayat elections were held on May 29, results of which were declared late Tuesday. Anil, a resident of Dujana village, is currently lodged at the district jail in Banda. Over two dozen criminal charges, including those of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, abduction and smuggling, are pending against him.

“Anil Nagar defeated his rival by a margin of 10,030 votes. He contested the elections from inside the jail,” an official, deputed by the Election Commission, said.

Nagar, an arch rival of gangster Sundar Bhati, also from Dujana village, was shifted from the city jail in 2014 following a series of gang wars between them.

Anil Dujana had contested the elections as an independent candidate. The only person who contested against Dujana, Sangram Singh, carried out his election campaign wearing a bulletproof jacket.

Last month, the city police had conducted a raid at Anil’s residence in Dujana village and arrested eight persons, including his father and brother, and recovered illegal arms and ammunition from their possession. Eight vehicles, including four SUVs were also seized from his residence.

Rahul Thasrana, an accomplice of Anil, was trying to contest the panchayat elections from ward number 1. However, he was arrested before the elections and his mother Shakuntala Devi contested in his place. However, she lost by a single vote. She received 391 votes while her rival, Reena Devi, received 392 votes. Her supporters forced the officials to recount the votes twice but the final result remained the same.

Ayushi Singh, daughter of state Congress spokesperson Thakur Dhirendra Singh, won from ward number 5 with 341 votes. She defeated Madhu Bhati, a candidate backed by Bahujan Samaj Party. Dhirendra’s brother, Virendra Singh, also won the elections from ward number 7. He defeated Bheem Singh Chhokar who was backed by the BJP.

“In this locality, influence of politicians with criminal background was rising. We have marked our presence and have given people an option of clean politics,” Dhirendra Singh, spokesperson for UP Congress, said.