Oppn successfully created misconception among Dalits over Constitution change: Sanjay Nishad

Sanjay Nishad’s son, Parvin Kumar Nishad, contested on the BJP’s symbol from Sant Kabir Nagar and lost to Samajwadi Party’s Laxmikant Pappu Nishad by a margin of 92,170 votes.

pawan.dixit@htlive.com

NISHAD Party chief Sanjay Nishad (File)

LUCKNOW: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ally NISHAD Party’s chief Sanjay Nishad on Thursday attributed the poor performance of the NDA to the opposition’s successful effort in creating the misconception among Dalits that the BJP would change the Constitution if it secured over 400 seats.

After the BJP’s drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, its allies, who also failed to deliver, have started coming up with explanations for the poor performance that reduced the BJP’s tally in the state from 63 to 33 seats.

Fisheries minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, Sanjay Nishad, said on Thursday that during the campaign, the BJP gave the slogan ‘Ab ki bar 400 par.’ The opposition was able to create a misconception among Dalits about the slogan. However, my community voted for the BJP candidate.

Nishad further said that Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidates were able to secure core Jatav votes in all seats, while non-Jatav votes in the Dalit community shifted towards the INDIA bloc.

However, Vinod Kumar Bind of the NISHAD Party, who also contested on the BJP’s symbol from Bhadohi, won the seat by a margin of 44,072 votes. Bind secured 4,59,982 votes and defeated Laliteshpathi Tripathi of the TMC, who received 4,15,910 votes.

Another ally of the BJP, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), lost the election from the Ghosi Lok Sabha seat. Arvind Rajbhar, son of SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and a minister in the state government, lost to Rajeev Rai of the Samajwadi Party. Rajeev Rai garnered 5,03,131 votes against Arvind Rajbhar’s 3,40,188 votes, winning by a margin of 1,62,943 votes. Balkrishna Chauhan of the BSP received 2,09,404 votes.