The Allahabad High Court has suspended the life sentence of a man convicted of murder who intends to contest the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, observing that the right to contest elections is comparable to the right to earn a livelihood. The relief was granted to Nandlal Rai, also known as Bablu Rai, while the court considered his appeal against his conviction.
A division bench comprising Justices Siddhartha and Vinay Kumar Dwivedi observed that the Supreme Court, while staying the convictions of various public representatives, had acknowledged their special responsibility towards voters and the consequences of being unable to contest elections if their convictions remained in force.
“Keeping in mind the common man's right to livelihood, 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.
In April 2025, a Varanasi court sentenced Rai to life imprisonment for the murder of Pramod Kumar Nigam, an active participant in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Media reports have also associated Rai with gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.
Rai's lawyer requested bail and a stay on his conviction, contending that his name did not appear in the first information report and that his alleged involvement emerged only around 17 days after the FIR was registered.
The defence also challenged the prosecution's reliance on circumstantial evidence, the reliability of eyewitness accounts and the recovery of the alleged murder weapon. It maintained that Rai had been implicated based on suspicion and speculation because of Nigam's political activities.
His counsel informed the court that Rai had been an active BJP worker before his conviction and wished to contest next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections as an independent candidate or, if possible, on a BJP ticket.
The High Court granted Rai bail and suspended his conviction and sentence until a final decision is reached on his appeal, enabling him to pursue his electoral plans while the case remains pending.
