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SP-SBSP slugfest hits another low
Installation of the hoarding announcing ban on entry of OP Rajbhar shows the frustration of the SP leadership. They know that after Rajbhar broke ties with the SP, the OBCs, the extremely Backward Caste, Dalits and Muslims are moving away from the SP, says Arun Rajbhar, chief spokesperson of the SBSP
LUCKNOW The political slugfest between Samajwadi Party (SP) and its former alliance partner Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) took another turn on Tuesday with the installation of a hoarding by an SP leader outside the party office announcing a ban on the entry of SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar in the SP office.
“The installation of the hoarding announcing ban on entry of OP Rajbhar shows the frustration of the SP leadership. They know that after Rajbhar broke ties with the SP, the OBCs, the Extremely Backward Caste, Dalits and Muslims are moving away from the SP,” said Arun Rajbhar, chief spokesperson of the SBSP.
He said the SP did not want to give representation to the extremely backward castes in the party organization. “The SP formed government four times, but ignored the marginalized communities. When in power, SP leaders used to install hoarding to grab land and now they are installing hoardings to insult OBC leaders. The people will teach them a lesson in the 2024 Lok Sabha election,” added Rajbhar.
After the alliance’s defeat in the 2022 assembly election, SBSP chief OP Rajbhar parted ways with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in July. The development came days after Rajbhar supported the BJP- led National Democratic Alliance Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu. After breaking ties with the SP, the SBSP chief had been attacking Akhilesh Yadav chief over various issues.
In September when the SBSP launched ‘Savdhan Yatra’ across UP, SBSP leaders Mahendra Rajbhar and Shashi Pratap Singh rose in rebellion against party chief OP Rajbhar. While Mahendra Rajbhar launched Suheldev Swabhiman Party, Shashi Pratap Singh launched Rashtriya Samta Party.
OP Rajbhar blamed the SP leadership for the split in the SBSP. “SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is trying to finish the SBSP by engineering a split and defection in the party,” he alleged.
SP leaders were aware of the support the SBSP had among extremely backward communities in districts of east UP. In the 2022 assembly elections, the BJP had failed to its account in Ghazipur, Azamgarh and Ambedkar Nagar districts due to the SBSP-SP alliance.
However, the SP leaders refuted the allegation of the SBSP chief, stating that senior SBSP leaders were revolting due to the attitude and working of Om Prakash Rajbhar. “The rebels are against the alliance between the BJP and the SBSP,” an SP leader said.
On December 21, SBSP chief spokesperson Arun Rajbhar posted a purported video of rebel party leader Mahendra Rajbhar visiting the SP state unit office in Lucknow to meet SP leaders.
“The video is a proof that SP leaders are luring SBSP rebels. Senior SP leaders accompanied the party rebels to the SP office. We will expose the SP plan to weaken the SBSP that is getting support of the backward communities, Dalits and Muslims,” said Arun Rajbhar, terming the video a sting operation by the SBSP to expose SP plan to split the party.
SBSP leaders, including Arun Rajbhar and Arvind Rajbhar, were seen moving outside the SP office to keep a watch on the activities in the party office. The hoarding is a message to the SBSP chief as well as other leaders to maintain distance from the SP office, said an SP leader
