Hindu Mahasabha to field Malegaon blast accused on two seats in UP elections

“Accused Major (retd) Ramesh Upadhyay had last week moved the court seeking permission to fill his nomination form which the court has allowed today,” special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal told PTI. “Contesting the elections is a question of personal liberty and there is no issue about it. The court has allowed the plea and also asked the jail authorities to cooperate with him,” told special public prosecutor Avinash Rasal to Hindustan Times. Upadhyay has said he wants to contest the polls but has not specified the constituency. In his application, the retired Major mentioned that the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha had offered him two seats – Ballia, Bairia and Meerut Sadar to contest in the forthcoming assembly elections, reported DNA. He had made a similar application during the 2009 general elections. Rasal said Upadhyay has also sought interim bail for a month stating February 4 and the court is likely to hear the case on January 23. A bomb strapped to a motorcycle had exploded in Malegaon on September 29, 2008, killing seven people and injuring around 100. According to the investigating agencies, the blast was carried out by right-wing extremists and 11 people are at present in jail in the case, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.