Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar said the opposition unity was incomplete without including Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.
He said BSP chief Mayawati should be projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the opposition against the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Rajbhar said Rashtriya Lok Dal should also be a part of the united opposition.
“We welcome this opposition unity initiative. But it is imperative to include BSP in the meeting, given its support base across the country,” the SBSP chief said, referring to the opposition meeting in Patna on Friday.
The BSP has not been invited to the Patna meeting organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Questioning the efforts of the opposition parties for unity, Rajbhar said, “Uttar Pradesh is key to electoral success as the state sends the largest contingent of 80 Lok Sabha members. From the attitude of the opposition parties it appears that they are not serious and truly concerned about unity,”
He added: “Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change?”
BSP chief Mayawati, on Thursday, had criticised the Patna meeting. Taking a swipe at the opposition unity meeting in Patna, she dubbed it “more of joining hands than hearts”. She said before the meeting, these parties should have instilled confidence among the people by clarifying their intention.
“The issues that the opposition parties are raising together before the Lok Sabha elections and in such a situation the Patna meeting of the opposition leaders organised by Nitish Kumar on June 23 gives more meaning to the saying ‘Dil mile na mile, haath milate rahiye’,” Mayawati said quoting poet Nida Fazli in a series of tweets.