In 2008, six politicians who were also criminals were released from jail for 48 hours. This happened because their votes were needed to help the UPA government and India’s civil nuclear deal with the US. The UPA government was in danger of collapsing because the Opposition had brought a no-confidence motion against them. The six politicians collectively had over 100 criminal cases against them. One of them was Atiq Ahmad, a member of the Samajwadi Party who represented Allahabad’s Phulpur constituency.
The book “Baahubalis of Indian Politics: From Bullet to Ballot” by Rajesh Singh claims that these politicians had a big role in saving the UPA government. The Left parties had withdrawn their support from the government because they disagreed with the civil nuclear deal. The UPA government was short of 44 seats for a simple majority to overcome the crisis of confidence. However, the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, and Janata Dal (Secular) extended their support to the UPA.
The book mentions that the government furloughed six prominent suspected lawbreakers, including Atiq Ahmad, so that they could attend parliament and vote. Ahmad is described as having a handlebar mustache and a liking for safari suits.
