Lucknow: The Congress received a major boost on Tuesday when the Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED), led by mafiadon-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, announced its support to Ajay Rai, the Congress candidate against BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Varanasi.
Afzal Ansari, brother of Mukhtar, said that his party had decided to unanimously support the Congress. Reacting to the development, Congress candidate Ajay Rai welcomed the QED decision and said, “It is a fight against communalism and support from every quarter is welcome.”
The QED support will provide the much needed shot boost to the Congress since the QED, in general, and Mukhtar Ansari, in particular, enjoys considerable ground support among Muslims in Varanasi.
Mukhtar Ansari, who had contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from inside the jail in Varanasi, had lost to BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi by a margin of only 17,000 votes. Mehboob Alam, a Muslim weaver said that after the QED announcement, Muslims would now go to the Congress.
“In the absence of any message from Mukhtar Ansari, the community was undecided on whether to vote for AAP or Congress but now the message is clear. For us, Mukhtar Ansari’s word means a lot because he always helps us in crisis," he said. Ansari and Ajay Rai, interestingly, have been sworn enemies because of their underworld warfare.
