SBSP vows to defeat BJP in eastern UP

Shahira Naim

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, April 23

BJP’s erstwhile ally Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president and UP Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar is determined to defeat the saffron party.

At a meeting with his party workers at Sakaldiha in Chandauli, Rajbhar said: “Noon roti khayenge...BJP ko harayenge” (we will eat bread with salt but defeat the BJP).

After the BJP re-nominated its Ghosi sitting MP Harinarayan Rajbhar two days ago, the chances of a rapprochement with the SBSP became difficult as this was one of the seats that president Rajbhar was eying.

After the failure of talks with CM Yogi on April 13, Om Prakash Rajbhar had announced to contest 39 seats in UP independently. It was rumoured that he would furnish his resignation from the Yogi government which, however, has not come till now.

Amid the LS election where OBC votes are crucial, the BJP is not taking any action against him. At Chandauli, Rajbhar has said that the BJP would barely win three of the 30 seats in Purvanchal. Rajbhar represents the Zahoorabad Assembly segment of Ghazipur district and his party in alliance with the BJP had won four of the eight assembly seats that it contested in 2017.