Coming ahead of next year's elections in Uttar Pradesh, the merger has already put the ruling Samajwadi Party in the opposition's firing line. (File Photo)
Hours after the merger of Samajwadi Party and jailed legislator Mukhtar Ansari's Quami Ekta Dal, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav removed a senior minister - Balram Yadav -- who is believed to have negotiated the merger. The merger was said to the brainchild of Shivpal Yadav, a senior leader of the Samajwadi Party and the Chief Minister's uncle.
Coming ahead of next year's elections in Uttar Pradesh, the merger has already put the ruling SP in the opposition's firing line: Mukhtar Ansari is on trial in a murder case and has been in jail for a decade. He has been named in other cases as well.
This morning, at a rally in Jaunpur, the chief minister said, "The day the Samajwadi Party workers start reaching out to the people in right earnest, we will need no other party. We will get majority on our own".
Shivpal Yadav has sidestepped questions on criminal links of Mukhtar Ansari, focusing instead on his influence in eastern Uttar Pradesh, especially in Mau and Ghazipur.
He also said "only those present here have joined the party and not Mukhtar".
The BJP said the merger shows the ruling party is "dependent" on criminals to win the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh as it no longer enjoys people's support.
"The Akhilesh Yadav government has faith in criminals and is dependent on them in the polls. We have seen earlier in Mathura land grab incident and Kairana issue that it shelters criminals. This is what it has done in the last four years," said BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma.
Congress spokesman DP Singh said the merger shows "growing frustration" within the ruling party, which is trying to "retain power by hook or by crook".