'All is well' within SP, says Shivpal Yadav post UP minister sacking

Rubbishing rumours of conflict between his nephew Balram Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over the merger of Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) with the Samajwadi Party (SP), senior leader Shivpal Yadav on Wednesday said 'all is well' within the party fold.

Shivpal Yadav, who is under fire for overseeing the merger of the QED — a party led by mafia don Mukhtar Ansari who has been in jail for the murder of a Bharatiya Janata Party MLC — told ANI that Balram did not recommend the tainted political leader and that the merger has been done with the consent of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

"Balram Yadav has not recommended Mukhtar Ansari and if at all he has recommended anyone it was Afazal Ansari — the president of QED — and his brother Sibaghtullah," said Shivpal.

"Everything is fine within our party. And as far as Balram Yadav's sacking is concerned, it is the Chief Minister's decision, as it's up to him to decide who should be assigned what duty. The merger has been done with consent of Netaji," he added.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday sacked senior minister Balram Yadav for engineering the merger of the political party headed by a mafia don despite his stiff opposition to the idea.

However, no official reason has been given regarding his sacking from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet.