Lucknow, Aug. 6: Last April, Rahul Gandhi had vowed to end the gun culture that had taken over Uttar Pradesh politics.

Less than four months later, his party has fielded a don-turned-politician from Farrukhabad for the August 19 Assembly bypoll, triggering tension within the state Congress.

Many party workers believe Vijay Singh, a convicted murderer out on bail, got the ticket only because he won the seat twice earlier. Singh, convicted of killing a BJP leader, first won the seat as an Independent. In the last state polls, he won on a Samajwadi ticket.

After the BSP’s victory, Singh resigned as MLA and joined Mayavati’s party, necessitating the bypoll. But Mayavati showed him the door as she didn’t want “a criminal” in her party. “Singh had no option but to seek a ticket from the Congress. Unfortunately, we obliged him,” said a Congress leader.

Spokesman Akhilesh Singh, however, said the Congress could not find a willing candidate after the electoral drubbing.