By IANS
Lucknow: A court in Uttar Pradesh Thursday permitted jailed parliamentarian Atiq Ahmad to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls, officials said.
Ahmad, currently lodged in the Naini jail in Allahabad district, is the nominee of regional party Apna Dal for the Pratapgarh seat.
Responding to Ahmad’s application, the special judge of the Gangster Court in Allahabad directed the district administration to make arrangements for him to file the nomination papers in Pratapgarh March 30, officials said.
Ahmad, who was elected on the Samajwadi Party ticket from the Phulpur constituency in Allahabad district but was expelled after he voted against the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government during the July 2008 trust vote, is accused of murdering Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator Raju Pal.
Following his expulsion from the Samajwadi Party, Ahmed had announced he would support Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, leading to speculation he would get the party’s ticket for the Lok Sabha poll.
However, Mayawati later made it clear that her party would never give a ticket to Ahmad.