With an attempt to counter the influence of the BJP, the Samajawadi Party on Tuesday inducted three more OBC-dominated political outfits in the SP-BSP-RLD alliance. The three OBC political parties are Janwadi Party (Socialist), Rashtriya Samanta Dal and the Nishad Party. These small parties have pockets of influence among their respective communities in eastern UP.

“I congratulate the three parties on joining the alliance,” said Akhilesh Yadav at a Press conference here on Tuesday to announce the expansion of the alliance that had started with a tie-up between Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party and later included Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal.

Akhilesh’s effort appears to be aimed at stitching a caste arithmetic under the SP-BSP combination — Nishad, Dalit, Muslim, Yadav and non-Yadav backward communities.

Headed by Sanjay Singh Chauhan, the Janwadi Party Socialist Party has a strong hold among the Chauhan community, an extremely backward caste of the OBC category, which has a considerable presence across eastern UP.

The Nishad Party had played a key role in the Opposition’s success in the Gorakhpur by-elections in March 2018 which became the template for Opposition unity and eventually persuaded two rivals, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, to team up. Praveen Kumar Nishad, the Opposition candidate who defeated the BJP in Gorakhpur, is the son of Nishad Party chief.

Akhilesh said, “Nishad party and Janvadi party (Socialist) are now a part of Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance in UP. Whenever Samajwadi party had felt any need during the elections, these two parties and their leaders have always helped us. With their support, our alliance will be further strengthened in the State.”

Sanjay Nishad of Nishad Party and Sanjay Chauhan of Janvadi Party (Socialist) were also present during the interaction with the media.

Earlier in the day, Janvadi Party (Socialist) and Nishad Party hoardings were spotted at the SP office, along side hoardings of BSP and RLD, fueling speculation of new alliances being forged in Uttar Pradesh for upcoming elections.