Two more outfits join UP's 'grand alliance'

Two more smaller, caste-based outfits joined the SP-BSP-RLD 'grand alliance' in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

The Nishad Party (NP), an outfit of the fishermen community and Janvadi Socialist Party (JSP), which had pockets of influence over 'bind' and 'kashyap' (both OBC) communities, joined the alliance to ''counter the BJP'' in the state.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav in whose presence the chiefs of the two parties announced their decision to join the alliance, said that his party would leave Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat for the NP.

He said that NP president Sanjay Nishad's son Praveen Nishad would be the SP candidate from Gorakhpur LS seat. Praveen, who was the sitting MP, had scripted history, when he had defeated the BJP nominee in the by-poll in Gorakhpur constituency, considered to be the bastion of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The Nishad Party has a considerable following among the 'nishad' (fishermen) community members, who are in sizable numbers in around half a dozen LS constituency in the state.

Though the community was said to be traditional voters of the BJP, in the last year's LS by-poll, they had voted for the NP and helped SP romp home in Gorakhpur.

The JSP also draws its strength from the OBC communities. The members of the 'bind' and 'kashyap' communities were in sizable numbers in around a dozen eastern districts.