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Ex-UP minister Ambika Chaudhary, Mukhtar’s brother Sibghatullah rejoin SP
Both the leaders have left the Bahujan Samaj Party, which they had joined ahead of the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election. Akhilesh says he will bring back all those who were associated with Mulayam.
Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s elder brother Sibghatullah Ansari and former Samajwadi Party (SP) heavyweight and ex-Uttar Pradesh minister Ambika Chaudhary rejoined the SP on Saturday.
Both have left the BSP, which they had joined ahead of the 2017 UP assembly polls.
At the rejoining the party, Ambika Chaudhary broke down, reminding people of a similar homecoming to the SP by senior leader Mohammed Azam Khan in 2010. Then, SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and Azam were both in tears.
Responding to Ambika’s emotions, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said: “He is not able to say what he wants to. Today, I could realise what all he must have gone through (after being away from the party). It will be my effort now to bring back all those who are associated with Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav)...Don’t know why at times very strong political relationships break very easily. But now all are coming back on track. In politics, ups and downs are routine.”
Ambika Chaudhary was a senior leader in the Samajwadi Party till he had an unceremonious exit during the internal feud in the party ahead of the 2017 UP assembly polls. Chaudhary then joined the BSP.
Chaudhary, a strong eastern UP leader and former minister in both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments, had also been chief whip of the party for a long time.
Sibghatullah Ansari also rejoined the SP on Saturday.
In fact, before the 2017 UP Assembly polls, the Ansari brothers (Afzaal and Sibghatullah ) had joined the Samajwadi Party with the intention of contesting the 2017 assembly polls on the SP ticket instead of their own party Quami Ekta Dal (QED). The Ansari brothers had taken this step at the initiative of SP cabinet minister Shivpal Yadav during the feud between Akhilesh and him. When Akhilesh had objected to Ansaris’ joining the SP, they made a retreat and joined the BSP instead. Sibghatullah had contested the Muhammadabad assembly seat in Ghazipur on the SP ticket in 2007 and had won. He retained the same seat in the 2012 assembly polls on the Quami Ekta Dal ticket, but lost when he contested on the BSP ticket in 2017. The SP is likely to give him a ticket to contest the seat again.
Akhilesh also said: “These joinings will strengthen the Samajwadi Party and send the message across that the SP is going to make a full majority government in the next polls.”
Reacting to Sibghatullah Ansari joining the SP, the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit said the Samajwadi Party in its desire to grab power in the state was ready to even shake hands with the family of Mukhtar Ansari , according to a PTI report.
