Afzal Ansari party merges with Samajwadi Party

The Qaumi Ekta Dal, a party led by Afzal Ansari, elder brother of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, finally merged into the Samajwadi Party on Tuesday, but without the jailed mafia don.

Announcing the merger at a press conference, senior UP minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said that the “homecoming” of the Ansari brothers would strengthen the Samajwadi Party.

Replying to questions, Mr Yadav clarified that Mukhtar Ansari was not a part of the merger, but other leaders were joining the party.

According to reports, Mukhtar Ansari will contest from his Mau seat as an independent candidate, but with SP support, just like independent minister Raja Bhaiyya does.

Mukhtar Ansari has been lodged in jail since 2005 in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai.

SP sources said that UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is also the state party president, was strongly opposed to taking Mukhtar Ansari into the party. Mr Akhilesh Yadav did not attend the press conference to announce the merger.

Sources said that the merger was given the go-ahead by party president Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Meanwhile, in a sudden development, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, late on Tuesday night, dropped senior minister Mr Balram Yadav from his council of ministers. Mr Balram Yadav was one of the architects of the Qaumi Ekta Dal merger and the chief minister vented his ire on him because he apparently did not take his consent before effecting this. Mr Balram Yadav, one of the founding members of the Samajwadi Party, held the secondary education portfolio. It may be recalled that Mr Akhilesh Yadav had stalled the entry of another mafia don-turned-politician D.P. Yadav into his party in 2012. More recently, at a programme in Kaushambhi district, he had dismissed Ateeq Ahmad, another tainted politician, from the dais.