LUCKNOW Uttar Pradesh fisheries minister and Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad on Tuesday indicated that his party could reassess its ties with the BJP if it was not offered a larger share of seats and its long-pending community demands were not addressed ahead of the 2027 assembly elections.
Speaking to media persons at his residence, Nishad said the BJP had overlooked the concerns of the Nishad community during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and suffered electoral setbacks, while its engagement with the issues in 2022 had helped it return to power in the state.
His remarks came a day after his meeting with senior Samajwadi Party leader Mata Prasad Pandey, triggering speculation about a possible shift in allegiance. Nishad said Pandey was a long-time associate and mentor who had been unwell, and that their discussion also covered the killing of Gonda trader Vinod Sahani.
“When the Samajwadi Party closed its doors to me, I joined the BJP. If the BJP does the same, we will have to consider other options,” Nishad said. He added that the Nishad Party would support whichever side took the community’s concerns seriously and worked to resolve its outstanding demands.
The Nishad Party had fielded candidates in 16 constituencies in the 2022 assembly elections and is seeking a larger role in 2027, particularly in seats where the BJP was defeated last time. Nishad said his party could help the BJP reclaim these seats, citing its electoral successes since the alliance began.
{{/usCountry}}The Nishad Party had fielded candidates in 16 constituencies in the 2022 assembly elections and is seeking a larger role in 2027, particularly in seats where the BJP was defeated last time. Nishad said his party could help the BJP reclaim these seats, citing its electoral successes since the alliance began.
{{/usCountry}}The Nishad community, comprising riverine groups traditionally associated with fishing, boating and related occupations, is estimated to account for 5-9% of Uttar Pradesh’s population, with significant influence in eastern UP. Their support has been important to the BJP’s efforts to consolidate non-Yadav OBC voters, especially in Purvanchal.
Party leaders claim the community can decide results in roughly 80 of the state’s 403 assembly seats and affect outcomes in more than 160.
The Nishad Party joined the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sanjay Nishad’s son Praveen Nishad won Sant Kabir Nagar on a BJP ticket that year. The alliance continued through the 2022 assembly elections, after which Sanjay Nishad joined the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet.
A key unresolved demand is the inclusion of several Nishad sub-groups, currently listed as OBCs, in the Scheduled Castes category.
SP sees discontent, BJP dismisses speculation
Reacting to Nishad’s remarks, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abbas Haider said they reflected “a bitter reality” within the BJP-led alliance in Uttar Pradesh, with allies unhappy over seat-sharing, representation and the functioning of their ministries.
“The Nishad community had been given assurances during the 2022 elections that their reservation demand would be addressed, but the issue remained unresolved,” Haider said, adding that the SP remained focused on social justice, development and representation under Akhilesh Yadav’s leadership.
UP BJP spokesperson Dinesh Pratap Singh, however, dismissed speculation about Nishad reconsidering his alliance with the BJP. He said Nishad was a BJP ally and a minister who was free to meet anyone.
“Recently, a Samajwadi Party MLA joined Sanjay Nishad at a dharna. Now, SP fears that this MLA might join the Nishad Party,” Singh said, adding that Nishad “will always remain part of the NDA alliance”.