QED has already merged with SP as announced by 'netaji':

Quami Ekta Dal (QED) of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari has already merged with Samajwadi Party, SP's UP unit chief Shivpal Yadav said today, over three months after the merger was declared called off following stiff opposition by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"The QED has already been merged with the SP. Netaji (SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav) has made a statement in this regard in the media. His decision is final," Yadav told reporters while announcing the party's new 80-member state executive committee here.

With the merger, SP now hopes to get additional Muslim votes in its kitty, particularly from the eastern districts of the state, in the 2017 Assembly election.
 

The SP-QED merger was announced in June in the presence of Yadav but as Akhilesh, who was the party's state president then, was reportedly against the move, it was called off by the party's state parliamentary board a few days later.

The SP leader played down reports of "differences" within the party, saying "Everything is all right. All the decisions have been been taken taking netaji and Akhilesh into confidence."

Though the Yadav family has been claiming there were no differences within the party, the announcement about the merger reflects the faultlines in the state's ruling party.

On SP leader and sacked minister Rajkishore Singh's rally at Basti yesterday, Yadav said, "He has done (took out a rally) something. We will see to it."

On the expelled youth leaders considered close to Akhilesh, he said, "I have expelled them. Now, they can approach someone who has the right (to reinduct them)."

Asked about giving poll ticket to jailed Amarmani Tripathi's son Amanmani, who is facing a CBI probe for allegedly killing wife Sara, the SP leader said, "Her (Sara's) mother has not met me. When she does, I will look into it."

Sara's mother Seema Singh had yesterday met Mulayam to request him not to allot a poll ticket to Amanmani.

Defending Amanmani, Yadav said, "The probe is on. The chargesheet will be filed in court. We should wait for that."

On Akhilesh's comments that he would "slay the Ravana" on Dussehra, he said, "All of us will try to slay the Ravana of communalism. We are fighting it."

Yadav said a new executive with 80 members has been constituted and Om Prakash Singh will be the party's new state general secretary.

The senior leader said the SP would take out rallies at Hardoi, Etah and every other division of the state which will be addressed by Mulayam and other party leaders and the dates would be finalised soon.

Former state minister and expelled BSP leader Abdul Mannan joined the SP with his supporters at the press conference.