Lucknow : There seems to be trouble in store for BJP after its unexpected defeat in recently held Lok Sabha by-polls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituency with a sulking ally keeping its cards close to the chest for 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh.

Numbers is not a problem for BJP to be able to send its a total of eight candidates to the upper house, but it’s ally namely Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which has got four MLAs in 403 member UP assembly has got the crucial key for its ninth nominee.
The other major regional parties like Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are very much confident that out of the 10 seats, they are going to win at least two seats. The schedule for the polls is March 23 this year.

“…How can I tell you that whether we will be voting for the BJP or any other party in the Rajya Sabha elections? We are yet to take a final stand on this,” SBSP chief Omprakash Rajbhar said in an interview to PTI.

According to Mr. Rajbhar, his party was not taken into consideration for consultation by the BJP before they announced the candidate.

“We are still in alliance with the BJP,” he said, “but did they ever consult us before finalising their candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections and Lok Sabha bypolls (to Gorakhpur and Phulpur)?”
“They fielded their candidates in the urban local bodies polls, but did they appropriately discharge the alliance dharma…In the Lok Sabha bypoll did they ever ask the alliance partners what could be their possible roles?” he rued.

The SBSP chief also said, “Unless someone (from the BJP) asks us, how will talks take place? Should I on my own go and say that I will vote for you.”

“…Finalising the candidate is their job, not ours. But, as a courtesy they should ask at least once as to whether we will join them in campaigning. Not a single leader asked us. In this scenario, how can I tell you whether we will be voting for the BJP or any other party in the Rajya Sabha elections. We are yet to take a final call.”

On whether his party will cross-vote, Mr Rajbhar, who is also a cabinet minister in the Yogi government said, “We are in alliance, and if they do not discharge the alliance dharma, should we go to them and say that please take our vote?”

He even claimed that his party could have easily influenced not less than 30,000 votes in the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha by-polls and results would have been much different and we could have witnessed it in the results. “But, it seems we have no utility (for the BJP). Similarly, in Phulpur, we were not invited even once to campaign for the BJP candidate,” he said.

A sulking Rajbhar also said, “You have kept us in alliance…either I don’t know how to discharge the alliance dharma or I am saying something wrong…The nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections have been done. But, is it not the duty of the BJP to consult us and deliberate on the election.”

The main issue according to the president of SBSP seems to be that the dalits and backward classes have been grossly neglected and ignored and this trend is still on the move.