Lucknow: The Quami Ekta Dal has come out all guns blazing against the Samajwadi Party and its chief following the flip-flop that ensued over the SP-QED merger.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, QED president Afzal Ansari vented his anger against the SP leadership, accusing SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav of betrayal. According to Ansari, it was Mulayam who had offered to merge both parties in the first place.
“SP approached us when 10 SP MLAs were ready to cross vote in Rajya Sabha elections. Balram Yadav came to my house on June 9, a meeting with Shivpal Singh Yadav took place on June 10 and we met Mulayam on June 11 where he said he wanted to merge QED with SP,” Ansari said during a press conference in Lucknow.
“After Mulayam’s offer, Shivpal announced merger on June 21 and it was called off on June 25. Mulayam betrayed us,” he added.
Ansari also targeted the Akhilesh Yadav government over law and order situation in UP. “Law and order is very bad in the state and Akhilsh is spending crores of rupees to build his image.”
“UP government is planning lion safari and night safari, it won’t be of any benefit to the public,” he added.
Afzal Ansari, who is a brother of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, accused Samajwadi Party of planning to instigate riots in UP in cahoots with Bhartiaya Janata Party.
A major controversy erupted after the merger of QED with the ruling SP in the poll-bound state. The merger was approved by senior SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is also Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger brother.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was reportedly opposed to the merger because he believed that "the decision to contest upcoming assembly polls with QED will send a wrong message to the electorate", especially given the criminal background of Mukhtar Ansari.
Soon after the merger was announces, Yadav had sacked senior minister Balram Yadav who had played a key role in the merger.
“The Samajwadi Party has called off its merger with gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's party,” SP leader MP Ramgopal Yadav said while announcing the calling off of the merger.
Assembly elections are due in Uttar Pradesh early next year before current assembly's term expires on March 8 2017.
