With Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar returning to the NDA fold ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it remains to be seen whether the Yogi Adityanath ministry in Uttar Pradesh will be reshuffled to accommodate him and Dara Singh Chauhan, who has come back to the BJP after quitting the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Om Prakash Rajbhar has indicated that a decision about the number of seats his party may contest in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and about joining the Yogi ministry may be taken after the NDA meeting on Tuesday.
The return of Om Prakash Rajbhar and Chauhan is being seen as part of the BJP moves to strengthen its OBC support base ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Uttar Pradesh BJP vice-president Vijay Pathak said any decision about the future course of action will be taken by the party leadership.
“The NDA has 38 parties now. SBSP chief OP Rajbhar, being part of the NDA, will attend the NDA meeting. The BJP leadership will, however, take a call about the future course of action,” said Pathak.
“An impression is being created that the opposition is weaning away the OBCs from the BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. By bringing the SBSP into the NDA fold and inducting Dara Singh Chauhan into the party, the BJP has been able to give a message that the OBCs are returning to its fold,” said a senior BJP leader.
{{/usCountry}}“An impression is being created that the opposition is weaning away the OBCs from the BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. By bringing the SBSP into the NDA fold and inducting Dara Singh Chauhan into the party, the BJP has been able to give a message that the OBCs are returning to its fold,” said a senior BJP leader.
{{/usCountry}}Rajbhar had an acrimonious relationship with the BJP as an alliance partner and minister in Yogi Adityanath government in the past but the ruling party made consistent attempts to smoothen the strained relations, eventually winning him over.
Senior BJP leaders, including the state unit president Bhupendra Chaudhary, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, senior minister Swatantra Dev Singh and former bureaucrat and advisor to chief minister Awnish Kumar Awasthi had attended a wedding function of Rajbhar’s family last month.
Om Prakash Rajbhar, who was dismissed by the then governor Ram Naik on May 20, 2019 (soon after the last phase of polling in 2019 Lok Sabha elections) despite his claims of tendering his resignation, had consistently accused the BJP of being anti-Dalit back then.