Afzal Ansari (born 14 August 1953) is an Indian politician of the Samajwadi Party and currently an incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) of India for Ghazipur constituency, Uttar Pradesh. He won the 2004 and 2019 Indian general election.

Early life

Afzal Ansari was born in Yusufpur–Mohammadabad town in Ghazipur district, Uttar Pradesh to Subhanullah Ansari and Begum Rabia. He received his school education. For higher studies, he enrolled in the local post-graduate college and completed Post Graduation from the University of Gorakhpur.

Family

Afzal Ansari's father Subhanullah Ansari was the chairman of Nagar Palika Parishad, Mohammadabad, and was elected unopposed. His grandfather Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari served as the president (1926–1927) of the All-India Muslim League, as well as the Indian National Congress (INC), and was one of the founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Former Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is Afzal Ansari's cousin. Afzal Ansari is married to Farhat Ansari since 26 October 1991 and the couple have 3 daughters. Ansari's elder brother Sibgatullah Ansari and his younger brother Mukhtar Ansari both were involved in politics and became MLA's in different constituencies.

Political career

Member of Legislative Assembly

Ansari started his political career with the Communist Party of India. He contested Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election in 1985 for the first time and defeated Abhay Narayan Rai from Indian National Congress with a margin of 3,064 votes. From 1985 to 2002, Ansari served five terms as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Mohammadabad Assembly constituency.

Member of Parliament

Afzal Ansari contested the 2004 Lok Sabha general election on the Samajwadi Party ticket and defeated Manoj Sinha of the Bharatiya Janata Party with a margin of 226,777 votes. He contested the 2009 general election on the Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket for Ghazipur but lost to the Bhartiya Janta Party's Radhe Mohan Singh. After some political differences, Ansari left the Samajwadi Party and founded a new political party called Quami Ekta Dal and served as its Secretary-General before merging it with Samajwadi Party. Ansari rejoined the SP in 2019 and contested the general election in Ghazipur; he won the seat, becoming the 17th Lok Sabha member from Ghazipur. On 1 May 2023, Ansari was disqualified as a Member of Parliament following being given a 4 year jail sentence. His suspension was revoked on 15 December 2023 by the Supreme Court of India.

Positions held

Afzal Ansari has been elected 5 times as MLA and 3 times as Lok Sabha MP.

Criminal cases

After inaugurating a cricket tournament in 2005, MLA Krishnanand Rai's cavalcade was ambushed while he was returning home. Krishnanand Rai and six of his aides were killed by AK-47 bullet fires. Both Ansari (Mukhtar Ansari and Afzal Ansari) brothers were booked under Gangster act in connection with murder of BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai in November 2005 and kidnapping-murder of trader from Varanasi in 1997. On 1 May 2023, Ansari was disqualified as a Member of Parliament following being given a 4-year jail sentence. His suspension was revoked on 15 December 2023 by the Supreme Court of India.