Raju Pal was an India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n politician from the Bahujan Samaj Party

Bahujan Samaj Party

The Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the...

. In 2005, while he represented the Allahabad

Allahabad

Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...

 West constituency in the Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

 state legislature, he was gunned down in broad daylight.

In 2002, Raju lost elections for the seat to mafia don Atique Ahmad. However, in 2004, Ahmad resigned the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...

. Raju Pal won the subsequent election in November 2004, defeating Atique's brother Mohammad Ashraf.

However, in January 2005, Raju Pal was shot dead while going to his village for the Republic day

Republic Day

Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.-1 January in the Republic of Slovakia:This was the day of creation of the Republic of Slovakia. A national holiday since 1993...

 parade. Ashraf, who subsequently won the seat by defeating Pal's wife Puja Pal, is the prime accused in the murder. Mohammad Ashraf's brother
Atique has also been charged with complicity in the murder. While Atique is currently in jail with 21 criminal cases pending against him, the Mayawati

Mayawati

Mayawati is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. She heads the Bahujan Samaj Party, which represents the Bahujans or Dalits, the weakest strata of Indian society. This is her fourth term as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh...

 government has come in for criticism for its failure to arrest Ashraf.

Meanwhile, Raju Pal's widow, Puja Pal, defeated Mohammad Ashraf in the Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007

Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007

The Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections, 2007 were held in April–May 2007 to elect a government for the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.-Organisation of the election:...

.