coolers and cooking equipment were found from his cell. Quami Ekta Dal After being expelled from BSP and being rejected by other political parties, the Ansari brothers (Mukhtar and Afzal) formed their own political party called the Quami Ekta Dal (QED), in 2010. Earlier, Mukhtar had launched an outfit called the Hindu Muslim Ekta Party, which was merged with QED. In 2012, he was charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act for being a member of an organised crime syndicate. In March 2014, Ansari announced that he will contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections against Narendra Modi from Varanasi, besides contesting from Ghosi. However, in April, he withdrew his candidature stating that he wanted to prevent division of "secular votes". Back in BSP On 26 January 2016, Ansari rejoined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), before the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative elections. There was widespread speculation about the Ansari brothers joining Samajwadi party a couple of months ago. BSP chief Mayawati defended his entry into the party, stating that the criminal charges against Ansari had not been proven, and that the party gives people a chance to reform themselves. Eventually, Ansari merged his Quami Ekta Dal with BSP in 2017, and won the state elections as a BSP candidate from the Mau assembly seat. He defeated his nearest rival Mahendra Rajbhar of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (a BJP ally) by 6464 votes. Positions held Mukhtar Ansari has been elected 5 times as MLA from Mau constituency. Arrest In December 2022, he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. See also Shaukatullah Shah Ansari Faridul Haq Ansari References Living people 21st-century Indian Muslims Indian gangsters Indian politicians convicted of crimes Politicians from Ghazipur Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2017–2022 Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2007–2012 Uttar Pradesh MLAs 2012–2017 Criminals from Uttar Pradesh Inmates of Tihar Jail Bahujan Samaj Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh Quami Ekta Dal politicians 1963 births Samajwadi Party politicians from Uttar Pradesh