'Stop instigating small time leaders': Ally Nishad Party chief warns BJP against attacks on him

Sanjay Nishad said that the BJP can end alliance if it wants to.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minister and president of the Nishad Party, an alliance partner of the BJP in the state, Sanjay Nishad on Tuesday warned the saffron party against "instigating small time leaders" to attack him and told the BJP to sever the alliance if it felt that it was not beneficial for it.

Speaking to reporters in Gorakhpur, the hometown of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Nishad said that the BJP must respect its alliance partners.

‘’Small time BJP leaders targeted Om Prakash Rajbhar, who ensured that the BJP got his community’s votes. One of the BJP ministers recently spoke against the Rashtriya Lok Dal which ensured support of the Jat community for it and now some small time BJP leaders are being instigated to speak against me,’’ he said.

Nishad said that the BJP must be careful while "importing" leaders from other parties. ‘’Leaders from SP and BSP can damage the prospects of the BJP in the polls,’’ he remarked.

The minister expressed dismay at what he termed BJP’s failure to act against the leaders who had been "spewing venom" against him.

‘’BJP is free to end the alliance if it wants,’’ he added.

Nishad said that his party did not get anything from the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. ‘’It remains to be seen what we get in 2027, when the state will go to assembly polls,’’ he said.

The Nishad Party enjoys considerable support among the fishermen community, especially in Gorakhpur and the nearby districts in eastern UP.