11-30-2005, 08:20 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>BJP MLA and 6 supporters gunned down</b>-Â Â
Preetam Srivastava/ Lucknow
The simmering gang rivalry between two east UP dons-turned-politicians turned bloody when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Mohammadabad segment of Ghazipur, Krishnanand Rai, and eight of his associates were perforated with bullets by rivals in Ghazipur district on Tuesday afternoon.
Even as the assailants, suspected to be hitmen of incarcerated don-turned-Independent MLA from Mau and known Rai baiter,<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> Mokhtar Ansari, fled from the scene on bikes,</span> seven persons including the MLA succumbed to their gunshot wounds while two others were battling for their lives at the District Hospital, Ghazipur.
Krishnanand Rai is the third legislator of this Assembly to fall prey to enemy bullets. In September 2004, don-turned Samajwadi Party MLC Ajit Singh fell to a single shot fired by his assailant who was identified during the CB-CID probe as the leader's own gunner. In January this year, <b>Bahujan Samaj Party legislator from Allahabad, Raju Pal was gunned down by Ashraf </b>- the brother of don -turned SP MP Ateeq Ahmad. Despite a huge public outcry, Ashraf <b>contested the seat vacated by the death of Pal and wrested it.</b>
With the bodies of the MLA and his associates reaching the native village Gudaura, the situation in the districts of Ghazipur and neighbouring Ballia is reported to be tense. Shops and business establishments remained closed fearing a backlash and the police has stepped up vigil to ward off any exigency on communal lines.
According to reports,<b> BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai had been camping at his native Karimuddinpur village of Ghazipur for the last couple of days for the marriage of his kin.</b> On Tuesday, he had gone to attend a ceremony in the neighbouring village and was returning home when his motorcade was intercepted by nearly ten youths riding five mobikes.
Taking them for supporters, as the motorcade slowed down, the bikers opened a barrage of fire with semi-automatic handguns and Ak series assault rifles. The unsuspecting legislator, his gunner and other associates were taken by surprise and suffered serious gunshot wounds.
With their sinister mission accomplished, the bikers sped off from the scene of crime leaving behind a trail of blood and gore.The victims were rushed to the District Hospital, Ghazipur some forty kilometres from the scene where Rai, his gunner and five others were declared dead upon arrival. Two others seriously injured Rai supporters were batling for their lives.
While the police remained non-commital about the identity of the assailants, their possible links and the exact motive behind the gory attack, <b>insiders claimed that the attack was meticulously planned by wily ganglord-turned-MLA from Mau, Mokhtar Ansari, who is presently in jail.</b>
<b>Ansari is in jail on charges of murder and inciting rioteers in Mau which led to the loss of over a dozen lives recently. Rai supporters claimed Ansari's being in jail provides him with a foolproof alibi for washing his hands off the murderous attack.</b>
The running feud between Ansari and Rai was due to the latter's proximity to elusive Varnasi don Brijesh Singh who is a known bete noire of Mokhtar Ansari.
<b>The acrimony betwen the two sworn rivals touched a new trough when Krishnanand Rai defeated Mokhtar's elder brother Afzal Ansari in the latter's pocket burrough of Mohammadbad Assembly segment in Ghazipur during the 2002 Assembly polls</b>. Since then the two have not lost the slightest of chances to plan and execute their designs against each other.
In 2004, Mokhtar Ansari alongwith his gun-totting aides reportedly opened fire at the motorcade of Krishnanand Rai near Dilkusha in Lucknow Cantonment. The same year, Ansari's cohorts allegedly gunned down three die-hard supporters of Rai in Ghazipur.
The police, on its part, lodged FIRs and counter FIRs and put the simmering rivalry on the backburner ostensibly due to maverick <span style='color:red'>MLA Mokhtar Ansari's proximity in the corridors of power</span>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Preetam Srivastava/ Lucknow
The simmering gang rivalry between two east UP dons-turned-politicians turned bloody when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Mohammadabad segment of Ghazipur, Krishnanand Rai, and eight of his associates were perforated with bullets by rivals in Ghazipur district on Tuesday afternoon.
Even as the assailants, suspected to be hitmen of incarcerated don-turned-Independent MLA from Mau and known Rai baiter,<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'> Mokhtar Ansari, fled from the scene on bikes,</span> seven persons including the MLA succumbed to their gunshot wounds while two others were battling for their lives at the District Hospital, Ghazipur.
Krishnanand Rai is the third legislator of this Assembly to fall prey to enemy bullets. In September 2004, don-turned Samajwadi Party MLC Ajit Singh fell to a single shot fired by his assailant who was identified during the CB-CID probe as the leader's own gunner. In January this year, <b>Bahujan Samaj Party legislator from Allahabad, Raju Pal was gunned down by Ashraf </b>- the brother of don -turned SP MP Ateeq Ahmad. Despite a huge public outcry, Ashraf <b>contested the seat vacated by the death of Pal and wrested it.</b>
With the bodies of the MLA and his associates reaching the native village Gudaura, the situation in the districts of Ghazipur and neighbouring Ballia is reported to be tense. Shops and business establishments remained closed fearing a backlash and the police has stepped up vigil to ward off any exigency on communal lines.
According to reports,<b> BJP legislator Krishnanand Rai had been camping at his native Karimuddinpur village of Ghazipur for the last couple of days for the marriage of his kin.</b> On Tuesday, he had gone to attend a ceremony in the neighbouring village and was returning home when his motorcade was intercepted by nearly ten youths riding five mobikes.
Taking them for supporters, as the motorcade slowed down, the bikers opened a barrage of fire with semi-automatic handguns and Ak series assault rifles. The unsuspecting legislator, his gunner and other associates were taken by surprise and suffered serious gunshot wounds.
With their sinister mission accomplished, the bikers sped off from the scene of crime leaving behind a trail of blood and gore.The victims were rushed to the District Hospital, Ghazipur some forty kilometres from the scene where Rai, his gunner and five others were declared dead upon arrival. Two others seriously injured Rai supporters were batling for their lives.
While the police remained non-commital about the identity of the assailants, their possible links and the exact motive behind the gory attack, <b>insiders claimed that the attack was meticulously planned by wily ganglord-turned-MLA from Mau, Mokhtar Ansari, who is presently in jail.</b>
<b>Ansari is in jail on charges of murder and inciting rioteers in Mau which led to the loss of over a dozen lives recently. Rai supporters claimed Ansari's being in jail provides him with a foolproof alibi for washing his hands off the murderous attack.</b>
The running feud between Ansari and Rai was due to the latter's proximity to elusive Varnasi don Brijesh Singh who is a known bete noire of Mokhtar Ansari.
<b>The acrimony betwen the two sworn rivals touched a new trough when Krishnanand Rai defeated Mokhtar's elder brother Afzal Ansari in the latter's pocket burrough of Mohammadbad Assembly segment in Ghazipur during the 2002 Assembly polls</b>. Since then the two have not lost the slightest of chances to plan and execute their designs against each other.
In 2004, Mokhtar Ansari alongwith his gun-totting aides reportedly opened fire at the motorcade of Krishnanand Rai near Dilkusha in Lucknow Cantonment. The same year, Ansari's cohorts allegedly gunned down three die-hard supporters of Rai in Ghazipur.
The police, on its part, lodged FIRs and counter FIRs and put the simmering rivalry on the backburner ostensibly due to maverick <span style='color:red'>MLA Mokhtar Ansari's proximity in the corridors of power</span>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->