Lucknow, Aug 30 (IANS): The BJP on Monday mounted a blistering attack on Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for induction of Sibghatulla Ansari, brother of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in his party.

Sibghatullah Ansari, a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA, joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) along with his supporters on Saturday.

The BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit tweeted on its official handle with the hashtag "ShameonAkhilesh" and said, "Akhilesh is following the line 'satta ke liye kuch bhi karega' (will do everything to come to power). What socialism are you talking about by getting the family of don Mukhtar Ansari to join the SP. People are watching everything."

The BJP also attached a video on Mukhtar Ansari.

Soon after the joining of Sibghatullah Ansari in the Samajwadi Party, the BJP had tweeted, "This is the real face of the SP. In its desire to grab power in the state, Samajwadi Party is ready to even shake hands with the family of mafia Mukhtar Ansari, but they should not forget who is the chief minister of UP."

Sibghatullah Ansari had won the 2007 Assembly election from Mohammadabad constituency on a SP ticket and again contested and won from the seat in 2012 on a ticket of Quami Ekta Dal, a party floated by his brother.

In 2017, he joined the BSP and unsuccessfully contested the election.