Gangster’s Party Merger: Akhilesh Gets To Do His DP Yadav Act With A Difference

In the face of chaos and desperation in the party, Akhilesh Yadav is playing his part well, and trying to show that he is clean while his kin and party leaders mop up vote banks. To keep his image up, Chief Minister Yadav sacked his cabinet minister Balram Yadav on Tuesday evening for apparently facilitating the merger of Quami Ekta Dal (QED) of gangster Mukhtar Ansari with Samajwadi Party.

Ansari’s QED has significant hold in eastern UP’s Mau, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Varanasi and Ghazipur, cities with Muslim populations of 18 to 28 per cent. At stake are 40 seats.

However, sacking of Balram Yadav could an eyewash as Akhilesh is planning cabinet reshuffle this month. He may induct Balram Yadav’s son Sangram Singh.

This is how Tuesday (21, June) began for the Samajwadi Party. “QED is today merging with SP which would strengthen the party,” said Shivpal Yadav according to this Indian Express report at a press conference jointly addressed by him and Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari.

Meanwhile, BJP, which has raised the issue of Hindus migration from Kairana, said the merger showed that the ruling party was “dependent” on criminals to win Assembly polls since it no longer enjoys people’s support.