BJP ally strikes discordant note on anniversary eve
LUCKNOW/VARANASI: Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s ally in Uttar Pradesh, struck a discordant note on BJP government’s first anniversary eve.
SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said on Sunday that his party with four MLAs was yet to take a stand on backing the BJP candidates in the March 23 Rajya Sabha polls.
“We are BJP’s alliance partner but weren’t consulted on party candidates. We too won’t decide on our strategy for the RS elections in a hurry,” Rajbhar, a cabinet minister in Yogi government, said on phone from Ballia.
The buzz is that Rajbhar, who also hit out at the BJP during his Basti rally on Sunday, might be dropped in the next reshuffle of Yogi ministry due soon. BJP’s fielding of Sakaldeep, an OBC (Rajbhar) from Ballia in east UP as its RS candidate, is also being viewed as party’s desire to create its own Rajbhar leadership.
Thirtyseven votes are required by each RS candidate for an outright win. With 311 MLAs (one died in a road accident), the BJP could easily get 8 elected to the Rajya Sabha. BJP along with its allies has 28 extra votes. But, the SBSP could queer the pitch for BJP’s ‘ninth’ candidate Anil Agarwal, a Ghaziabadbased businessman cum educationist. BJP’s other ally is Apna Dal with 9 MLAs.
Even if the SBSP supports, Agarwal would still be short of 9 MLAs. The BJP has been assured of additional vote in SP MLA Nitin Agarwal. His father
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We are BJP’s alliance partner but weren’t consulted on party candidates. We too won’t decide on our strategy for the RS elections in a hurry. OP RAJBHAR, SBSP chief
Naresh Agarwal joined the party recently.
“We are confident of ensuring win of all 9 candidates,” chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday.
“It’s for opposition to take care of their MLAs. If SP-BSP without having enough numbers can put up their candidate, why shouldn’t we do so as we have more spare votes than them? We will welcome all those who want to support us in national interest,” UP BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.
Interestingly, after the BJP loss in Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-polls, SBSP’s general secretary Shashi Prakash Singh had said that it was defeat of BJP’s ‘arrogance.’ Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, whose chance meeting with Om Prakash Rajbhar’s son had given rise to speculations about Yadav trying to win over the Rajbhar’s (OBC) party, has accused the BJP of encouraging horse trading.
The SP, which has 47 MLAs, has extended support to BSP’s nominee Bhimrao Ambedkar. Together with the BSP (19), Congress (7) and the RLD (1), it is hoping to ensure the win of Ambedkar in lieu of BSP’s support to its candidate in the by-polls.