In yet another jolt to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, uncle and state SP chief Shivpal Yadav announced the merger of jailed don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's Qaumi Ekta Dal with the Samajwadi Pary ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls.
"Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has given his nod to the merger. I am making this announcement only after due permission from SP national president,” said Shivpal Yadav in lucknow on Thursday.
Earlier, Akhilesh had stalled the sitting QED's merged with the SP on the grounds that any link up with Mokhtar Ansari's outfit will only sully the image of the Samwajwadi Party. But in the changed scenario, the merger of QED with the SP became a strong possibility the day Shivpal Yadav was made the state SP chief. Since then QED chief Afzal Ansari had started claiming alliance with the SP.
Shivpal Yadav said that all senior leaders of the party were on the same page on the issue QED's merger with the SP. When persistently asked whether the CM has been informed about the development, Shivpal Yadav said, “Akhilesh Yadav has been informed about this decision.”
The merger of the two parties had earlier sparked off a battle between Akhilesh Yadav and uncle Shivpal. On June 23, the CM had said at a Jaunpur rally that the SP does not need any alliance to retain power.
"If we can manage booths, we will win the polls hands down,” he had said on a day when his uncle announced the merger of the QED with the SP in lucknow.
The same night, Akhilesh removed Secondary Education minister Balram Singh Yadav from the ministry for being instrumental in the merger.
later, the CM had claimed that there was no dispute within the party or the family over the merger. "Whatever Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) says will be acceptable to us," he had said.