JOIN USBJP seeks to mend fences with estranged allies in poll-bound UP
Apparently anticipating a tough fight in the next Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, which is due in nine months, the BJP has been frantically trying to mend fences with its estranged allies in the state and bring them back to its fold, and prevent them from aligning with the rival political players.
The former allies of the saffron party, however, are proving tough nuts to crack and have asked the BJP to resolve the issues which had led to their parting of ways.
According to the sources in the state BJP here, efforts were on to persuade Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar — whose party had contested the 2017 UP Assembly polls in alliance with the BJP but quit later — to once again join the BJP-led alliance in the state.
Sources said that BJP national president J P Nadda had called Rajbhar but the latter chose not to take the call and instead had his secretary take the same.
''We have made it clear to the BJP that there will be no alliance unless our demands are met....and this time we want results not promises,'' a senior SBSP leader here said on Friday.
''BJP knows that we can dent their electoral prospects, especially in the eastern UP region....all these times they (BJP) ignored us and now as the polls near, they want our support,'' the SBSP leader added.
Rajbhar, who was a minister in the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, had made an unceremonious exit before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls after his demand for LS seats was rejected by the BJP.
Similarly, the top BJP leadership ghas also sought to assuage the hurt feelings of Apna Dal (AD) president Anupriya Patel, who wields influence over the 'kurmi' community, and Nishad Party leader Sanjay Nishad, who has an influence over the fishermen community in the eastern UP districts.
Both parties were allies of the BJP but had recently signalled that all wasn't well. There were rumours that they were in touch with the Samajwadi Party.