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Uttar Pradesh assembly polls: Seven smaller parties back BJP after pact between SP, SBSP
Before entering into a pact with the SP, Om Prakash Rajbhar had put together a confederation of several smaller parties under the umbrella organisation of Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha and BJP’s move is being seen as a counter to the SP-SBSP tie-up
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got leaders of seven smaller parties with caste appeal to announce support for it in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls at about the time when Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar held a joint rally in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP) on Wednesday.
Before entering into a pact with the SP, Om Prakash Rajbhar had put together a confederation of several smaller parties under the umbrella organisation of Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha and BJP’s move is being seen as a counter to the SP-SBSP tie-up.
The caste-based smaller parties that BJP roped in included Bhartiya Manav Samaj Party led by its chief Kewat Ramdhani Bind, Musahar Andolan Manch (Gareeb Party) led by Chandrama Vanvasi, Shoshit Samaj Party under its chief Babu Lal Rajbhar, Manavhit Party led by Krishna Gopal Singh Kashyap, Bharatiya Suheldev Janata Party of Bhim Rajbhar, Prithviraj Janshakti Party led by Chandan Singh Chauhan and Bharatiya Samata Samaj Party led by Mahendra Prajapati.
These smaller parties were previously part of the Hissedari Morcha, with representation from various OBC groups including Bind, Gadariya, Kumhaar, Dhivar, Kashyap and Patel. Some of them, BJP leaders claimed, were earlier with the SBSP but have since parted ways.
The BJP has also been holding a series of caste meets featuring members of Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and Dalits. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is the BJP’s election in-charge for UP, had recently said though his party had stitched alliances with Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad Party, both influential OBC players from eastern UP, it was still open to more alliances with smaller parties.
Responding to the SP-SBSP joint rally, UP ministers Sidharth Nath Singh and Anil Rajbhar accused the new alliance of bringing paid people to their rally.
“The SP wants to play a game by projecting the SBSP here. All those people who came to attend the rally were brought by the SP. On November 23, we would respond to this mahapanchayat,” Anil Rajbhar said.
“Na khela hobe, na khadeda hobe, vikas hobe (neither any twist, nor ouster. Only development would happen),” said Sidharth Nath Singh stating that in 2022 UP polls BJP will prevail again. Sidharth Nath was responding to the slogan “khadeda hobe” at the SP-SBSP rally.
