In 2019, Kuldeep Sengar was convicted and jailed for life for raping a woman in Unnao in 2017. (File)
Former MLA and Unnao rape convict Kuldeep Singh Sengar's wife will be contesting the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections on a BJP ticket.
The BJP has made her a candidate for the district panchayat member from Ward No. 22 of Fatehpur Chaurasi, according to a list released by state party chief Swatantra Dev Singh.
Kuldeep Sengar was sentenced to life in prison by a Delhi court on December 20, 2019 for raping a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.
After his conviction, Kuldeep Sengar's membership as an MLA was cancelled.
Kuldeep Sengar's wife Sangeeta had earlier held the post of the district panchyat chairperson.
Reacting to her candidature, Samajwadi Party chief spokesman Rajendra Chowdhury accused the BJP of adopting double standards.
"On one hand, it talks about eliminating criminals and on the other, it glorifies them. In the BJP regime, crime cannot be controlled," he said.
When asked, BJP spokesperson Harishchandra Shrivastava said names of all candidates were recommended by the district unit and were forwarded to the party headquarters through the regional unit.
"All names were finalised by the organisation," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)