Atul Rai is the BSP candidate from the Ghosi seat in Uttar Pradesh's Mau district | Photo Credit: Facebook

Mau: Ahead of the final phase of the seven-phased Lok Sabha Elections 2019, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate has gone missing. Atul Rai, the BSP candidate from the Ghosi seat in Uttar Pradesh's Mau district, is reportedly absconding ever since an FIR was registered against him on May 1.

The FIR was filed by a college student at a police station in Varanasi, accusing him of sexually assaulting her.

Rai has gone missing probably fearing arrest. However, it has not deterred his party, BSP, from campaigning for him.

"We are campaigning for him and the people of Ghosi know that he is being framed. We fear that he may be arrested if he comes here for campaigning," said one of the supporters of Rai.

Reports suggest that BSP supremo Mayawati has asked her party workers to ensure that Atul Rai wins from the constituency. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has also asked his cadre to keep campaigning for Rai.

In fact, both Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday held a rally in Ghosi and urged people to vote for the SP-BSP alliance candidate.

Reports trickling in from Ghosi say that Atul Rai has flown to Malaysia to escape arrest, reported news agency IANS.

Senior Superintendent of Police Anand Kulkarni said a lookout notice has been issued for Rai.

Calling the case as ‘politically motivated’ to stop Rai from campaigning, the lawyers of Rai have moved the Supreme Court on Tuesday. They have urged a stay on Rai’s arrest till May 23, the day of vote counting. A Vacation Bench will hear the matter on Friday.

While addressing the rally today, Mayawati called Rai a victim of BJP’s conspiracy. "It is our responsibility to get Atul Rai elected and defeat the conspiracy against him," she said.

The Ghosi parliamentary constituency goes to polls on May 19.