Won't accept Mukhtar Ansari, he had no role in merger: Shivpal Yadav

LUCKNOW: S amajwadi Pa- rty (SP) member Shivpal Yadav has denied that mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari had a role in the party's merger with Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED).
"SP has not accepted Ansari," the SP state president said, adding that the merger would help the party in the upcoming polls. In an interview, Shivpal had said that the other two Ansari brothers-Qaumi Ekta Dal chief Afzal Ansari and MLA Sibghatullah Ansari-had allied with SP earlier and were a part of it.Mukhtar's position in the merger remained unclear.
According to reports, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had opposed the merger stating that people with criminal antecedents had no place in SP. Shivpal, however, denied reports that the CM stayed away from Mulayam's public meeting in the QED stronghold of Ghazipur because he was unhappy with the merger.
"We are together and SP will go to the people to seek their support to keep BJP away from coming to power in Uttar Pradesh in the assembly elections to be held early next year," Shivpal said.