Lucknow: Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar is caught in a bind — mainly of his own making.
When Rajbhar walked out of the alliance with the SP after the 2022 Assembly polls, he was over optimistic that the BJP would welcome him back with open arms.
Rajbhar began his unending diatribe against the Samajwadi Party leadership and termed Akhilesh Yadav as a drawing room politician.
Even as he stepped up his attack on the SP, the BJP showed no signs of thawing towards Rajbhar.
Rajbhar even said the dominant OBC castes, including Maurya, Patel, Lodh, Kori and Nishad, and upper castes, including Rajputs and Brahmins, were all with the BJP, and that these castes would not support the Samajwadi Party (SP) in any future election.
Rajbhar’s remark came at a time when the BJP and the SP are attacking each other over OBC and Dalit votes.
Rajbhar even lauded the annual budget tabled by Yogi Adityanath government and termed it as pro-poor.
The BJP still did not respond to his overtures.
As a BJP functionary said, “Om Prakash Rajbhar has proved to be an opportunist ally. His statements are not tempered. We know he wants a seat in the UP Legislative Council for his son Arvind Rajbhar, but the BJP is not ready for any such bargains. Besides, who wants an unreliable ally?”
The BJP meanwhile, has been strengthening its own leaders belonging to the Rajbhar community, led by Uttar Pradesh minister Anil Rajbhar, and is making inroads among Rajbhars in various districts.
Sensing that Om Prakash Rajbhar may be left out in the cold for the 2024 general elections, a number of SBSP leaders have started searching for greener pastures.
SBSP national secretary Ramakant Kashyap, state vice-president C.P. Nishad and state general secretary Vivek Sharma joined the Nishad Party on Saturday.
National president of Nishad party, Sanjay Nishad, said, “SBSP chief O.P. Rajbhar has deviated from the ideology of the party. The comments made against the Kashyap community by SBSP leaders have hurt the sentiments of people.” He further said that the doors of Nishad party were open for all.
Ramakant Kashyap said, “SBSP has started abusing saints born in our community and is playing divisive politics. We are descendants of Maharishi Kashyap, who was a saint of the Vedic age. We cannot support those who insult our ancestors.”
Meanwhile, some disgruntled leaders of the SBSP, who spoke to IANS on condition of anonymity, said, “The SBSP is now a has-been party. Om Prakash Rajbhar is more interested in promoting his family in politics rather than taking the party forward. The party has earned the ire of OBCs because it did not support the SP on Ramcharitmanas issue. We will also opt for better opportunities in other parties soon.”
Om Prakash Rajbhar, meanwhile, claimed that ‘some’ parties were trying to ‘disturb’ SBSP by weaning away ‘greedy elements’
“However, this will not work and SBSP will emerge stronger in the Lok Sabha elections,” he asserted.
–IANS
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