NEW DELHI: The Allahabad High Court has suspended the life sentence of a murder convict who wants to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, observing that the right to contest polls is akin to the right to livelihood. The court granted relief to Nandlal Rai, aka Bablu Rai,while hearing his appeal against the conviction.
A division bench of Justices Siddhartha andVinay Kumar Dwivedi noted that the Supreme Court, while staying the convictions of various public representatives, had recognised their special duty toward voters and the consequences of losing the opportunity to contest elections if a conviction is not stayed.
“Keeping in mind the common man’s right tolivelihood, which is no less important than a politician’s right to contest elections, the appellant’s conviction and sentence should be stayed to enable him to live until the final decision in his appeal is heard,” the court said.
Rai was sentenced to life imprisonment by avVaranasi court in April 2025 in connection with the murder of Pramod KumarNigam, an active member of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Media reports have also linked Rai to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.
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