Abbas Ansari disqualified as UP MLA after hate speech conviction, Mau seat likely to see bypoll

The case pertains to a provocative speech delivered by Abbas during the 2022 election campaign, which led to his conviction under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act. Under current law, any legislator sentenced to two or more years of imprisonment stands disqualified from the legislature.

Reacting to the court order, SBSP chief and UP Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said the party will challenge the conviction in the High Court. “We will appeal against the verdict. Abbas Ansari will get justice,” Rajbhar told reporters.

With his disqualification, the Mau assembly seat is now vacant, setting the stage for a potential bypoll in the coming months.

So far, these MLAs have lost their Assembly membership in UP

Abbas Ansari is the sixth legislator to be disqualified in the 18th Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Before him, Azam Khan, Abdullah Azam, Irfan Solanki, Vikram Saini, and Ramdular Gond had already lost their Assembly membership.