The Samajwadi Party on Thursday said that inclusion of gangster turned politician Mukhtar Ansari in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) exposes the mentality of the Mayawati-led party.
Samajwadi party leader Gaurav Bhatia said that the BSP is going through its worst phase in the last one decade.
"Samajwadi Party under the leadership of Mr. Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav is going to fight the UP election on a positive plank and development. Because Mr. Akhilesh Yadav enjoys a very clean image, he delivers on the promises he made. We are very confident that we will come back to power even with greater majority," said Bhaita.
"As for people with criminal background, if the BSP feels that these are the people that would strengthen BSP than they will stand exposed when the results are declared. This is not the first time that the people with criminal antecedents have joined and then they have the courage and audacity to talk about law and order," he added.
Four-time MLA Mukhtar Ansari, who is currently lodged in Lucknow jail, will contest from the Mau assembly constituency on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket in next month's polls.
This was confirmed by BSP supremo Mayawati, who said that Mukhtar is being taken back in the party as the allegations against him have not been proved yet.
The gangster-turned-politician's son Abbas and brother Sibgatulla have also joined the party and they will be contesting the elections from Ghosi and Mohammadabad assembly constituencies respectively.
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Mukhtar had earlier won a seat from Mau in 1996 on a BSP ticket.
Quami Ekta Dal, formed by Ansari and his brothers in 2010, merged with the Samajwadi Party (SP) last year which was opposed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The merger was expected to be discontinued with Akhilesh becoming national president, which was confirmed once the party announced its party candidate from Mau seat.