Hari Shankar Tewari, UP's 1st don-neta, dies

LUCKNOW: The demise of six-time MLA and former UP minister, Hari Shankar Tewari, in Gorakhpur on Tuesday ended the long saga of a powerful strongman who blended crime and politics to become a power centre in eastern UP. He was 83 and had been suffering from age-related ailments.
Locals in Gorakhpur say Tewari's sprawling mansion, popularly called 'Tewari ji ka Hata', situated in the heart of the city was no less than a power centre. In Purvanchal politics, Tiwari was one person who built his influence in the government of every political party and remained influential in the area for three decades. He is also considered to be the first Uttar Pradesh ganglord-turned-politician.
Tiwari has 33 criminal cases against him, including nine cases of murder and 10 cases of attempt to murder, said the police officials.
He successfully contested the 1985 UP assembly election from Chillupar assembly seat in Gorakhpur while he was in jail. Tewari, who fought as an independent, defeated Congress' Markandey Chand by around 22,000 votes.