UP BJP jolted as alliance partner resigns

BJP was jolted as after days of dilly-dallying and bickering, Uttar Pradesh minister and president of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an alliance partner of BJP in the state, Om Prakash Rajbhar resigned from the cabinet ahead of the crucial sixth and seventh phases of polling in the eastern UP region.

According to the sources, Rajbhar's associates, who were recently accommodated as heads of publicly owned entities and given the status of ministers of state, also resigned from their posts.

Rajbhar's resignation was a setback for the BJP as it came barely days before the last two phases of polling in the eastern UP region, where 'Rajbhar' (an OBC) community voters were in sizable numbers.

''I have no relation with the BJP now....we wanted one seat for our party but the BJP did not agree,'' he said.

The SBSP chief had earlier declared a list of 39 candidates, including one against prime minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in what was being perceived here as a pressure tactic.

Rajbhar had been spewing venom against Adityanath and the saffron party for the past around a year.

The separation of the SBSP could cost the saffron party dearly as 'Rajbhar' voters, who formed around four per cent of the electorate in the state, were decisive on around a dozen LS seats in the eastern region.

'Rajbhars' have a sizable strength in Azamgarh, Mau, Ghosi, Ballia, Salempur, Jaunpur, Lalganj Ghazipur, Deoria and some other seats in the region.

BJP leaders here sought to downplay the resignations and said that he was still in the cabinet. Rajbhar, however, said that he was not bothered if his resignation was accepted or not.