UP: Rajbhar Suggested Alliance With BSP; Latter Apparently Not Interested

After announcing that Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is no longer in alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP), party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar indicated that he could be reaching out to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

However, BSP doesn't seem to be interested in Rajbhar's offer. In what is being construed as a veiled dig at Rajbhar, Mayawati's nephew and BSP leader Akash Anand on Monday (25 July) urged people to beware of such "selfish people".

"The entire world praises the administration and discipline of the Mayawati government. But some opportunistic people are using Behenji's name for doing politics. One needs to beware of such selfish people," Anand tweeted in Hindi.

The SBSP chief said on Sunday, "Some party leaders are of the view that we should go with the BSP. I also personally feel that we should speak with the BSP. The BSP performed well in the recent by-polls held in Azamgarh."

The mention of Lok Sabha by-polls reveals where lies the roots of the rift between SP and SBSP. After the SP's defeat in Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha by-polls, Rajbhar had advised Akhilesh Yadav to go among the people and not do politics 'from an air-conditioned room'.

He also compared Yadav to Mayawati saying that Mayawati spent more time in the field as compared to Akhilesh Yadav. Rajbhar also accused Akhilesh Yadav of bias in the distribution of tickets in the recent UP Assembly elections.

The Mahan Dal and the Janwadi Party have already severed ties with the SP, while SP wrote to Rajbhar and Shivpal Singh Yadav that they are 'free to go wherever they feel they can get more respect'. After this letter, SBSP separated itself from SP.

While reaching out to the BSP, Rajbhar said that BSP has a strong organisation in eastern UP, and if his voters connect with the BSP, the party could emerge even stronger.

Rajbhar, a leader with influence in eastern UP districts, fought the 2017 assembly election in UP with the BJP but later parted ways and joined the SP-led alliance. SBSP contested 17 seats and won six of them in the recent state assembly elections.

Om Prakash Rajbhar's proximity to the ruling BJP was visible in the presidential election and SP had accused Rajbhar of hobnobbing with the BJP. The SP is now left with only RLD and Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) as alliance partners.

(With inputs from PTI)