Taking strong advantage of the loopholes in the law which does not ban an accused to contest elections till convicted by the court, extradited gangster Abu Salem has started his campaign with posters in his home constituency of Mubarakpur in Azamgarh district as an Independent candidate.
Salem, waiting for his verdict in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, is said to have sent more than 50,000 posters to Mubarakpur wishing people of the constituency during the twin festival of Diwali and Eid.
The posters, pasted all over the constituency, read ‘Hum Ahale Hind Hai, Seene me Sher Ka Dil Rakhe hai, Agar Saath Mila Apka to Rukh Toofan Ka More Sakte Hai, Vatan Ki Abru Bachayenge, Hum Ek Khushal Bharat Banayenge’ (I am a true Indian and have a heart of a Lion, if I get your support I can change the path of any hurricane, will save the country and turn it into a developed country).
This is not the first time the underworld has made an attempt to enter mainstream politics. Earlier Dawood Ibrahim's extradited younger brother, Iqbal Kaskar had filed his nomination papers from prison to contest elections from South Mumbai, but withdrew in the last minute.
As UP politics is largely based on caste and religion factors, it may not come as a surprise if Abu Salem's new move would turn successful adding a new chapter in the dreaded Mumbai's don saga.
Salem was extradited from Portugal in November last year and booked in eight cases, including the 1993 bomb blasts and other high profile extortion cases.
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