After witnessing brother’s murder, Congress’s Ajay Rai took on Mukhtar Ansari

We did not give in before Mukhtar Ansari despite his stature and continued our struggle for justice despite all odds," an emotional Ajay Rai, president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of Congress, said last year after the gangster-politician was awarded a life term for killing his brother Awadhesh Rai in 1991. The court order ended a 32-year-long wait for justice for Ajay Rai and his family.Over the 32 years, Ajay Rai switched several parties, from the BJP to the Samajwadi Party to Congress, but one thing remained constant -- his legal battle against Mukhtar Ansari, who passed away due to cardiac arrest on March 28.

The Congress has announced Ajay Rai's candidature from Varanasi, where the Bhumihar leader would take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third consecutive time.In the 1980s, the government had kickstarted development work in the Ghazipur-Varanasi belt, which was then Uttar Pradesh's one of the most backward regions. The government had started giving contracts for the work.

During that time, gang wars were at their peak in Uttar Pradesh, which was then witnessing the rise of the contractor mafia.

Around 1990, Ghazipur's contract work was overtaken by a gang led by strongman Brijesh Singh.