Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 10 (ANI): The Uttar Pradesh government will take a decision over dropping criminal charges against Congress state president Ajay Rai in connection with the 2015 rioting case after the Lok Sabha elections, the state government's Additional Advocate General PC Srivastava told the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh, who is hearing Ajay Rai's petition, has directed the state government to file an affidavit to this effect within a week. He also scheduled the case for next hearing on April 19.

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A special court had allowed the Uttar Pradesh government to drop charges against 81 people in a 2015 rioting case, leaving only state Congress chief Ajay Rai to face prosecution in October 2023.

The MP-MLA court's order came after the BJP government decided to withdraw the charges against 81 of the 82 accused in the case.

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Among the 81 people whose charges have been dropped are UP minister Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu and some Hindu ascetics.

The state government has decided to withdraw the case against 81 accused under the procedure of Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The case was lodged at Dashashwamedh police station here against 82 people, including Rai, on charges of rioting, arson, attempt to murder, and damaging government property after violence broke out during the "Anyay Pratikar Yatra'.

The Congress leader has been pitted once again against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the 2024 general elections. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4.

The most populous state, which sends the most members to the Lower House of Parliament, at 80, will poll across all seven phases. The polling in the ancient pilgrimage town of Varanasi will take place in the seventh and final phase on June 1.

On March 23, Congress released its fourth list of 45 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, fielding Ajay Rai, against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi.

Rai had challenged PM Modi in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the Varanasi parliamentary constituency but was trounced on both occasions.

Before PM Modi, the Varanasi seat was held by stalwart BJP leader and former Union Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi. (ANI)

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