Nothing to celebrate about Yogi govt's anniversary: State minister

Letting the fizz out of Yogi Adityanath's anniversary celebrations, one of his senior Cabinet ministers have said there is nothing to celebrate, as the state government has not been treating the Dalits right, and unless it mends its ways, the BJP may lose the general elections.

This  embarrassment  comes right after the humiliating defeat in the by-polls.

Senior UP minister and president of the Suheldev Bharat Samaj Party (SBSP) said, "The ruling party is (still) intoxicated by its huge win in the 2017 assembly polls... it lost Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-polls because it neglected Dalits, the backward and the poor... it will lose more elections if it does not mend its ways."

Rajbhar's party has four MLAs in the  state Assembly. He was speaking at a rally in Basti, about 200 km from here.

The minister said the government had only talked about temples during its one-year stint. "There is no concern for the poor... corruption continues as it was in the previous regimes," he said.

Rajbhar also said the BJP had "lost" the confidence of the people. "I tried to reason with the chief minister but he did not pay any attention," he said.

The minister did not take part in the celebrations and dropped hints that his party  may part ways with the BJP-led government.  

The immediate expression of the SBSP chief's resentment may be seen at the forthcoming  biennial polls from UP.

The BJP has put up nine candidates in the hope that a few Opposition party legislators  may indulge in cross-voting. If the SBSP walks out, it will cost the BJP four votes in the  Upper House polls.

Rajbhar has been speaking out against his own government for the past few months despite  warnings  from the BJP. It remains to be seen if  Adityanath will take some action against him this time.