Overtures by Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar for alliance with Samajwadi Party have put the party in a fix. Though an alliance with SBSP is perfectly in line with SP’s stated policy to ally with only small political parties, its leaders have strong reservations over political tie-up.
“Om Prakash Rajbhar is a tough bargainer and in continuous hunt for greener pastures. He is holding negotiations with the Bharatiya Janata Party also and it is difficult for us to ascertain where he stands and for how long,” a SP leader said.
“Moreover,” the SP leader said, Even if we enter into an alliance with the SBSP and leave a couple of seats for it, no one can guarantee that Rajbhar will stay with us after the elections,” Rajbhar has indicated that he is open to an alliance with the opposition parties, emphasising that it is high time that the opposition unites against the BJP.
“I have opened my doors for every party but they should be ready to accept our demands if they want our support. Our party has a huge influence in east UP,” the SBSP chief said
He claimed that besides the Rajbhar community, his party also has the support of other Other Backward Class communities like Binds, Nishads, Mauryas, and Kushwahas, and that the SBSP has a huge influence among OBCs in Purvanchal.
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad based All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) has expressed apprehensions that its alliance with the SBSP will not last. The AIMIM, which plans to contest in 100 seats in UP’s 2022 Assembly elections, is in a dilemma following Om Prakash Rajbhar's recent meeting with BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh.
The AIMIM, which considers itself to be a heavyweight within the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha (BSM) coalition, floated by Rajbhar, is yet to get a clear understanding of Om Prakash Rajbhar’s intentions as he was an ally of the BJP in the past and had also served as a UP Cabinet Minister before parting ways during the 2019 general elections.
AIMIM state president Shaukat Ali said he was surprised by Rajbhar meeting with BJP leaders. He said the AIMIM had significant support of the Muslim population of the state. He said if the SBSP went with the BJP, there would be no chance of continuing the alliance.