Mukhtar Ansari: Everything you need to know about the late 'Bahubali' gangster

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda in Uttar Pradesh on March 28. He was 60. Mukhtar Ansari was a prominent Indian politician and former gangster. He hailed from the state of Uttar Pradesh and was actively been involved in politics and criminal activities, making him a controversial figure in Indian politics. Here we list everything you need to know about the late 'Bahubali' gangster.

Mukhtar Ansari was one of the influential names in Indian politics and was a former gangster. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, his name was frequently associated with various criminal activities in the past.

He was born into an influential family in 1963, Ansari entered the crime world to establish himself and his gang in the government contract mafia that was then flourishing in the state.

Mukhar entered the world of crime at the tender age of 15 and ended up being booked in 65 criminal cases. His first brush with the law came where he was charged for criminal intimidation at Saidpur Police Station of Ghazipur in 1978.

After almost ten years, Mukhtar had become a notable face in the contract mafia circle. His criminal graph kept growing with each passing day and his criminal records did not hinder his entry in politics.

Ansari took the political plunge in 1996 and contested on a ticket from Bahujan Samaj Party from Mau. He was elected as an MLA in the Uttar Pradesh assembly. It was no looking back for him as he continued the successful political run and the fought elections an independent candidate in 2002 and 2007 assembly elections.

In 2012, Mukhtar introduced his own party Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) and won from Mau again.

Since 2005, till his death, Ansari had been lodged in different jails of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.  He had been convicted in eight criminal cases since September 2022 and was facing trial in 21 cases in different courts.