MLC seats: Many BJP cadres in race, speculation rife on SBSP
The SBSP chief would be in Basti and Devipatan on Wednesday to meet his cadres on his 2024 LS election plans. This will be his first meeting with cadres since his alliance with SP was officially over
LUCKNOW The strategy that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) adopts for naming candidates on the two seats for the U.P. Council would be of much interest after the chief opposition Samajwadi Party’s alliance with Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party went sour when the latter voted for the BJP-backed-NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu in the presidential poll. Murmu was elected the country’s 15th President.
The first strain in SP-SBSP ties was evident after the SP didn’t name SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar’s son Arun Rajbhar to the June 20 legislative council polls in which BJP won 9 seats, while SP won 4.
Though OP Rajbhar had campaigned for SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav in the Azamgarh Lok Sabha bypoll, subsequently he drifted apart with his regular remarks targeted at the SP leadership.
Now, with the alliance between the two parties officially over, there is much interest on if the BJP government, which has already extended ‘Y’ category security cover to Rajbhar, would reward its likely ally for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by leaving one of the two seats for the SBSP.
“Nothing can be said till the candidates are officially released,” a BJP leader said while admitting that there were many in the BJP eyeing party backing.
The nomination process for these two vacancies in the Upper House of the state legislature has started from Monday, and voting, if required, would be held on August 11. Based on its strength in the U.P. assembly, the BJP is expected to win both the seats and increase its domination further in the legislative council. The BJP currently has 72 seats in the 100-member legislative council.
There are several candidates from within the BJP who are lobbying for being named as a candidate against these two vacancies, one of which was caused due to the demise of veteran Samajwadi Party leader Ahmad Hasan while the other was created after Thakur Jaiveer Singh was elected member of legislative assembly (MLA) in the 2022 U.P. assembly polls.
Political experts believe that Rajbhar, whose suggestion to seek an alliance was rebuffed by the BSP, could be ‘rewarded’ by the BJP.
“It makes sense to befriend Rajbhar again. The rewards will eventually come, though in which way, isn’t clear. Because the SBSP leadership has shown that they deliver when in alliance with a major party. So, with 2024 Lok Sabha polls in mind, a legislative council berth or something more, may be in the government, everything should be in the realms of possibilities,” said AP Tiwari, a political analyst.
Back in June, when asked if he was subsequently disappointed that the SP didn’t name his son for the legislative council, Rajbhar had made a cryptic comment, “Maango ussi se jo de de khushi se (ask only from one who gives happily)” and had added that his party had only 6 lawmakers and hence was not in a position to demand.
Rajbhar had contested the 2017 U.P. polls in alliance with the BJP and won 4 seats, two less than what it won in alliance with the SP in 2022 assembly polls.
The SBSP chief would be in Basti and Devipatan on Wednesday to meet his cadres on his 2024 Lok Sabha poll plans. This would be his first meeting with cadres since his alliance with SP was officially over with the SP leadership releasing a letter accusing him of being hand in glove with the BJP.
