Quami Ekta Dal merges with SP despite Akhilesh's opposition

Lucknow: Mulayam Singh Yadav’s brother Shivpal Yadav announced on Thursday that the Quami Ekta Dal (QED) had merged with the Samajwadi Party.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said in June that, “Mukhtar Ansari will not be welcome in the party. We don’t want such people in the party.” However, once again, Shivpal Yadav has overruled Akhilesh.

On Thursday, Shivpal said the decision to merge with the QED had been taken after consultations with top Samajwadi Party leaders.

The SP hopes that the merger will help it tap the Muslim vote bank in eastern Uttar Pradesh especially in Ghazipur, Mau and Varanasi ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections.

A major familial feud had broken out in the SP after Akhilesh relieved his uncle of 3 portfolios last month. This happened after Akhilesh was replaced with Shivpal as the state party chief. After days of deliberations between Akhilesh, Mulayam and Shivpal, the latter had been handed back all his portfolios.