Lucknow, Nov 5 (IANS): A Varanasi resident, Sudhir Singh, has filed a plea before the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, seeking disqualification of jailed Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Mukhtar Ansari.

Singh has sought Ansari's disqualification on the grounds of his being absent from the House proceedings without its permission since its constitution in 2017. He has cited the provisions of Article 190 (4) of the Constitution.

Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, who is an MLA from Mau Sadar, is presently lodged in a Punjab jail.

He has been in jail since 2005 when he was arrested for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.

Mukhtar Ansari won the 2007, 2012 and 2017 elections from jail and attended the Assembly session till 2017 with permission from the court.

Since 2017, the state government opposed the permission from the court and Mukhtar has not been able to attend the legislative proceedings after that.

Singh, once a close confidant of Ansari, has made the plea through his counsel Ashok Pandey.

Sudhir Singh, the president of Mafia Virodhi Manch, in his petition to the Speaker, Hriday Narain Dikshit, cited Article 190 (4) of the Constitution which provides that "if a member of any House of a state legislature fails to attend the House proceedings for 60 days without its permission, the House may declare his seat vacant."

The petitioner said Mukhtar Ansari has neither attended nor participated in the sittings of the House, held from time to time since the present Assembly was constituted in 2017. He has not even sought any permission to be absent from the House for such a long period, the petitioner said.

The petitioner also claimed that he is willing to contest the election from Mau Sadar Assembly seat after it is declared vacant and fresh election is notified by the Election Commission.